Manchester United claimed a needed victory last night, getting the better of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side, securing a 2-1 win in what was a bonkers clash at Old Trafford.
Robert Sanchez’s red card within the first five minutes of the meeting certainly aided the Red Devils’ chances at victory, resulting in the visitors playing the rest of the meeting with ten men.
However, Casemiro’s second yellow card just minutes before the break handed the Blues a route back into the contest – but Ruben Amorim’s men held on for three vital points.
The victory was just the club’s second of the campaign, with both of their triumphs coming on home soil after previously beating Burnley at the Theatre of Dreams.
Two players played a huge role in the side walking away the victors, often being the shining light over recent months despite the club’s disappointing performances on the field.
Bruno & Amad’s stats against Chelsea
Bruno Fernandes has been United’s captain in recent years, taking huge responsibility in providing the goods within the final third despite his midfield role.
The Portuguese international got the ball rolling in the triumph, scoring the first goal after getting on the end of Patrick Dorgu’s cross in the 14th minute of the encounter.
Despite impressing in attacking areas, he also thrived out of possession, winning 100% of his tackles and making six recoveries – shutting out the Blues in their second-half push for a point.
Alongside Bruno, forward Amad Diallo also managed to catch the eye, completing 93% of the passes he attempted, four of which were into the opposition’s penalty area.
The Ivorian also managed to register two efforts on goal, whilst being fouled twice by the visitors, often causing constant havoc on the way to claiming all three points.
However, despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other first-team star managed to catch the eye, arguably making him Amorim’s most important player at present.
The Man Utd star who’s becoming Amorim’s best player
Over the last couple of years, United have splashed the cash massively in an attempt to return to their former glory after numerous campaigns without any form of tangible success.
Benjamin Sesko is the latest big-money man to make the move to Old Trafford, costing a fee in the region of £74m from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig during the summer window.
However, he’s yet to fit the ground running, failing to score a single goal, whilst getting replaced at half-time against Chelsea after failing to make an impact on proceedings.
The Slovenian only registered a tally of eight touches in the first 45 minutes, even failing to register a single effort on goal – with his withdrawal from the clash certainly warranted.
He’s already highlighted that big-money transfers don’t equal success, with cheaper additions such as Noussair Mazraoui proving to be worth every penny and more.
The Moroccan joined the Red Devils for a fee in the region of £12m last summer, but has massively exceeded expectations after making the move from German giants Bayern Munich.
The full-back has nailed down a starting role once again in recent weeks, with his showing against Maresca’s side last night arguably one of his best for the club.
He featured for just over an hour before being replaced by Matheus Cunha, but his figures highlight how impressive he was at both ends of the pitch.
Mazraoui, who was labelled “exceptional” by one analyst, completed 100% of the dribbles he attempted at Old Trafford, often getting into key positions despite his defensive responsibilities.
Out of the 26 passes he completed, 12 of which were into the final third of the pitch – showcasing his ability to quickly get the ball turned over into dangerous areas.
Noussair Mazraoui – stats against Chelsea
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
65
Touches
60
Passes completed
26
Passes into final third
12
Dribbles completed
2/2 (100%)
Duels won
9/9 (100%)
Tackles made
4
Crosses completed
2
Stats via FotMob
However, his most impressive work came without the ball, making four tackles and winning 100% of the nine duels he entered – the most of any player on the pitch.
As a result of his showing, the 27-year-old was handed an impressive 8/10 match rating by Manchester World journalist Rich Fay – further highlighting how impressive he was against the Blues.
The performances of Bruno and Amad will undoubtedly get the majority of the praise, given their impact in attacking areas, but Mazraoui is arguably becoming more important than the pair.
His ability to dominate the visitors undoubtedly played a key role in shutting them out and preventing a comeback after Casemiro’s dismissal, with Amorim desperately needing to continue utilising the bargain addition.
