In a wild match on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, Manchester United defeated Chelsea 2-1 because of a brace from Scott McTominay.
Although McTominay might have easily had a hat-trick, wasting other excellent opportunities and being prevented by an incredible double save in the first half, he finished off a rebound in the first half and headed home at the back post in the second to secure his club all three points. McTominay not only won the match but also saved coach Ten Hag from being sacked overnight.
A strangely chaotic match was marked by missed opportunities, as both teams let the opposition attack plenty of space in the last half of the game.
Robert Sanchez saved Bruno Fernandes’ early penalty after VAR determined that Enzo Fernandez had fouled Antony in the box.
Additionally, United had 28 attempts throughout the 90 minutes of play, but only nine of those were on target, meaning they missed several more excellent opportunities to win the game.
A superb Cole Palmer finish after a jinking run across the edge of the box gave Chelsea the equalizer just before halftime. The Blues could have scored more goals, but Nicolas Jackson and Mykhaylo Mudryk were especially wasteful as the visitors consistently caught United on the break.
However, Erik ten Hag’s team managed to hold on for a crucial three points that lifted spirits, while Chelsea fell even further from the top of the league to the 10th position.
Although Ten Hag’s team did not play flawlessly in this victory, the manager of United must have been pleased with the effort his players made to recover from the dismal loss to Newcastle.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who both could have been very dangerous in such an open game, were among Ten Hag’s four starting lineup’s benchwarmers. And in a match that United could and ought to have won by a larger margin, his choice was supported by an explosive performance.
Chelsea frequently exposed the backline’s lack of pace, and United’s midfield found it difficult to maintain control of the game or provide much cover for the defenders during transitions. However, United who were still in the down phase, this game had enough positives to offer the team optimism for better things in the future.
Chelsea has to think even more because their expensively assembled team is largely ineffective for big stretches of the match and depends mostly on a quick-witted front three when attacking.
This season, the Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has been an incredible goal threat. On one particular occasion, he had multiple opportunities to score as he ghosted into the final third and often found dangerous pockets of space.
His first had a wonderful touch that looped up nicely, and a nice finish. His second goal was a prime example of a confident player; Scott expertly timed his move to be the first red shirt to reach a cross from Alejandro Garnacho that was just itching to be finished.
Harry Maguire has established himself as a vital member of the United defense, starting seven league games—just one less than the entire eight that he made last season—three of which came in November during Ten Hag’s team’s clean sheet victories over Fulham, Luton, and Everton.
Maguire participated in every minute of every game, earning him the title of Premier League Player of the Month. This can be considered one of the greatest moments of the game because of the bullying Maguire faced from social media and pundits. He did not break out like most others rather he continued his hustle and when he got the opportunity he smashed it.