Ruben Amorim’s to-be Manchester United team faced off against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday. Although the Portuguese gaffer would have likely been focused on Sporting CP’s upcoming Champions League match versus Manchester City on Tuesday, we wouldn’t bet against him taking a sneaky peak at his future team.
On the surface, a 1-1 draw may feel disappointing for United. With a superior xG (1.98 to 1.11), more possession, and more shots on target, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side statistically did more than enough to win the match. However, given the general negativity surrounding Manchester United at the moment, it was perhaps a much better result than it may appear. This is especially true considering that Chelsea — especially Cole Palmer — have been in great form under new manager Enzo Maresca lately.
Manchester United scored the game’s first goal in the second half after the video assistant referee (VAR) judged that the Chelsea goalkeeper illegally fouled United striker Rasmus Hojlund in the box, allowing Bruno Fernandes to slot home the penalty. The visitors responded just four minutes later after a lovely Moises Caicedo volley.
Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy did not employ the 3-4-2-1 tactic that Ruben Amorim has employed at Sporting, although midfielders Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte were allowed much more creative freedom in the middle of the pitch, something that Amorim favors. United right-back Noussair Mazraoui was one of the standout players on the day, where he was employed on the left side. If there were any suggestions that United seemed checked out despite their club’s uncertain future, those were put to bed.
Amorim will not take the reins until November 11th, and Manchester United still has a lot of kinks to iron out. While he will have the luxury of the January transfer window shortly after his arrival, this current United team is not set up for his favored 3-4-2-1 formation. They have issues in defense, where new signing Lenoy Yoro will not return from injury for a while and Mazraoui is forced to be employed at left-back until that position is filled — on top of an aging midfield that needs an overhaul.
For Chelsea, the Enzo Maresca revolution is continuing to take shape. Although they won’t be completely satisfied with a draw, going to Old Trafford and getting a point — even in their state — is a good result. Maresca made the bold decision to leave out star midfielder Enzo Fernandez, but this move allowed Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to shine in midfield. What is worrying for Chelsea, however, is the fact they had substantially more rest than Manchester United and still were not able to outwork and outplay them. At times, it was the complete opposite.
