Tactical changes, De Gea’s struggles – Five talking points from Man United’s 1-1 draw vs Chelsea at Old Trafford

Man United Opinion: 4 Talking Points from Man United vs Chelsea

There was very little to choose between the two teams, as Man United and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday. With both the teams chasing a top-four finish, the fans would have expected a mouth-watering end-to-end encounter, but what was on show for the ninety minutes never really lived up to the hype and expectations.

Juan Mata’s opener 11 minutes into the game was cancelled out by Marcos Alonso’s neat finish just before the interval but neither team did enough to score the winning goal and bag all three points in the second half. The high-octane clash also marked the end to a weekend where all the teams competing for a top-four finish failed to win.

United started off as the brighter of the two teams and got themselves a much-deserved opening goal but the Red Devils failed to capitalise on their chances thereafter.

Chelsea, on the other hand, should consider themselves extremely lucky to have pinched a point away from home, despite putting in a lacklustre performance. In the end, it would be fair to say that a draw was a fair result for both the teams, considering how things shaped up throughout the ninety minutes.

With just two matchdays in the Premier League remaining, let us get some deeper insight into the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and analyse the game with the help of a few talking points.

1. Solskjaer’s change in tactics worked in favour of United

Having lost their last two Premier League games against Man City and Everton, United desperately needed to get back to winning ways at Old Trafford on Sunday in order to keep their top-four hopes alive. As opposed to a back-five system that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fielded in the 2-0 defeat to Man City, the Norwegian used a more offensive approach at home against Chelsea.

The Norwegian not only reverted to a back-four but also fielded a diamond in the midfield, with Nemanja Matic at the base, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera on the left and right and Juan Mata playing as the No.10 at the tip of the diamond.

This allowed United to deal effectively with Chelsea’s possession-based style and the Red Devils completely dictated the play in the opening stages of the game. Matic held things together very well at the heart of the midfield, while Pogba and Herrera played in a box-to-box role.

Chelsea have relied heavily on Jorginho to control the proceedings in the midfield, with the Italian holding the key to the Blues’ ‘Sarri Ball’ philosophy, but United made sure that he barely got a touch of the ball in the first half.

Juan Mata’s presence in the final third added that extra bit of creativity and firepower to United’s attack and the Spaniard put the hosts ahead early in the game, capping off a brilliant move from the left with a composed finish.

Luke Shaw, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba were all involved in that slick move that led to Mata’s opener and United deserve all the credit for putting together some slick attractive football.

2. David De Gea’s poor form in a real cause of concern

The Spaniard has bagged United’s Player of the Year award multiple times in the recent past but his woes between the sticks just don’t seem to be coming to an end this season.

He has come under criticism for some uncharacteristic high-profile errors in recent weeks against Wolves, Barcelona, Everton and Man City and his poor run of form with the gloves continued on Sunday as well.

United looked set to go into the break with a one-goal cushion, which would have been a fair reflection of their stranglehold on the game. But then, just at the stroke of half-time, de Gea struck.

The Spaniard’s handling error from Antonio Rudiger’s long-range effort allowed Alonso to score off the rebound, which ultimately proved to be the match-defining moment. The concession of a soft goal just at the stroke of half-time not only spoiled United’s hard work but it tilted the balance of the game as well.

It is really unusual to see such a reliable shot-stopper like de Gea make so many errors in a single season but one can get the feeling that he isn’t really focused on his game right now. Maybe, the ongoing contract dispute with the club has something to do with his lacklustre displays, though it can hardly be considered as an excuse for any world-class professional.

3. Higuain looked abject and Chelsea’s lack of creativity was ridiculous

Chelsea got back into the game thanks to de Gea’s error but the Blues weren’t really able to push for the winner in the second half. After a rather uninspired and lacklustre display in the first half, Maurizio Sarri’s side somewhat improved after the interval, as United went off the boil to a certain extent.

However, it was quite apparent from the way they approached the game that they were merely hoping for a piece of individual brilliance from one of their front three to guide them to victory.

Chelsea looked disjointed in the final third and lacked any sort of cohesion in the build-up play, as Matic, Herrera and Pogba made sure that the resistance in the midfield was strong enough to deny the opposition enough space to work with.

Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho passed the ball around without purpose, while Kante tried his best to engineer something out of nothing with some powerful runs forward. That, however, was never going to be enough to put United under pressure.

Gonzalo Higuain scored in the 2-2 draw against Burnley in the last game but the clash at Old Trafford once again reminded that the Argentine international has been a flop in the Premier League since his arrival in January.

He offered little in terms of hold-up play and rarely made those runs into the six-yard box to trouble the defenders. However, when he did make those runs, the 31-year-old just made a mockery of himself by getting caught offside.

Eden Hazard and Willian looked like they were playing on different wavelengths and the duo never really got their act together in what was a disappointing outing for the front three.

4. The draw leaves the top-four race open

Arsenal and Spurs lost 3-0 and 1-0 to Leicester City and West Ham respectively, which means that the draw at Old Trafford still keeps United and Chelsea very much alive in the top-four race.

It might be said that the 1-1 draw was a better result for Chelsea away from home, given that the Blues finished the weekend 4th in the standings, two points clear of Arsenal and three clear of 6th-placed Man United.

However, Sarri’s side have a couple of tricky fixtures against Watford and Leicester to deal with, while United would be expected to demolish Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town in their two remaining games.

The Red Devils might look back on the draw and regret if Chelsea do manage to win their last two games, though there is every possibility that the Blues might drop points against two very competitive sides.

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Both the teams still have plenty to play for, as the another Premier League season promises a dramatic ending.