Erik ten Hag secured an important victory with Manchester United over Chelsea (2-1) on Wednesday evening. The Mancunians took the lead through Scott McTominay, before it was leveled just before halftime at Old Trafford. The same midfielder, however, shot Manchester United to victory in the second half, bringing The Red Devils within three points of Manchester City.
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Manchester United was absolutely the dominant team in the first half. This became apparent when the team was awarded a penalty just six minutes in. Enzo Fernández stepped on Antony's foot.
Referee Chris Kavanagh, who initially saw nothing, had no choice but to go along with the VAR's decision. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take the penalty but shot low through the middle into the hands of goalkeeper Robert Sánchez. When the rebound went over, the danger was momentarily averted. The captain of Manchester United had squandered the first really big opportunity.
In the nineteenth minute, the home team had another great opportunity through Harry Maguire. His shot was blocked, and Scott McTominay managed to convert the rebound. United remained the attacking party. Thus, the pattern of the first half became increasingly clear: Manchester United created the big chances, and Chelsea consistently launched counterattacks with the speedy Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, and Nicolas Jackson. It made for an entertaining and dynamic match.
Chelsea managed to respond just before halftime from one of these counterattacks. It was the former Manchester City player who got the opportunity. He seemed to pick out the right angle with precision, which he indeed found. André Onana just couldn't reach it in the far corner, making the score 1-1 before the break.
After the break, Manchester United was not as dominant as before. The equalizer seemed to balance the game somewhat. The match remained entertaining, as play moved back and forth. Alejandro Garnacho made it even more special with an attempt to replicate his world-class goal against Everton. He had previously scored in the top corner with a bicycle kick; this time, he couldn’t manage it.
The Argentine did manage to make an impact twenty minutes before the end. He delivered a fine cross, allowing Scott McTominay to score again. He headed in from close range, putting the 2-1 lead on the scoreboard. The Scottish midfielder had also scored twice against Brentford. The 'defensive' midfielder leads this Premier League season with five goals, more than any other teammate. Although Chelsea didn’t match the home team in the match statistics, the margin remained at just one goal.
Manchester United stands in sixth place after this match, while Chelsea remains in tenth. For Manchester United, another home game awaits on Saturday against Bournemouth. Chelsea plays on Sunday, with an away match against Everton on the schedule.
Updated: 04:04, 7 Dec 2023
