Manchester United crushed Chelsea’s resistance 4-0 in the inaugural match of the Premier League season 2019-2020 on Sunday (11/08/2019).
Perhaps, not many people suspect that the match Manchester United vs Chelsea will end with a comprehensive victory of the host. How not, the second half of last season ended in a very heartbreaking for Manchester United supporters.
The Red Devils have not won in the last five games of the season, including being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield. Also, MU closed the season with a 0-2 defeat at home to the relegated team, Cardiff City.
Naturally, the 4-0 victory over Chelsea offered by two goals from Marcus Rashford (18 ‘and 67’), Anthony Martial (65 ‘), and Wales’ young winger Daniel James (81′), gave rise to hope for a resurgence this season.
Here are 5 reasons Manchester United fans can be optimistic about their team’s performance this season.
1. Defense Improves Instantly
David De Gea’s goal conceded 54 times last season, the most since he first set foot in the English League. At Old Trafford, Man United have conceded 29 times from 18 matches for the 2018-2019 season.
However, the defense of the Red Devils improved instantly with the arrival of Arthur Wan-Bissaka and the world’s most expensive defender, Harry Maguire. The two players who came in with a combined dowry of 130 million pounds made Man United’s foundation stronger.
Yes, Chelsea hit the pole twice, through Tammy Abraham and Emerson, in the first round. But overall Maguire’s presence as a commanding figure in the back row made Man United’s defensive block more solid than last season.
2. Anthony Martial, Number 9
Nothing’s wrong with Anthony Martial taking back number 9 Manchester United after the departure of Romelu Lukaku. He recorded 8 touches in the Chelsea penalty box, most of all the players on the field. In fact, that number is more than double the touch of number 9 Chelsea player Tammy Abraham in the Manchester United penalty box (3).
He scored one goal from just two shots on target. Anthony Martial’s goal came typical of a poacher striker, struck the ball from close range from a Andreas Pereira cross.
3. Paul Pogba is Back!
After a long summer where Paul Pogba’s sales issues were spinning fast, last weekend Manchester United fans saw the 2018 World Cup winners in their best game. Paul Pogba’s two assists for Manchester United’s third and fourth goals are a form of the player’s best strength.
First, Pogba pulled an accurate long-range long-range pass into the back of the Chelsea defense which landed at the feet of Marcus Rashford. Rashford controlled the ball perfectly before shooting a low shot past the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Second, Pogba ran into the Chelsea defense in the 80th minute. The legs of the weary Chelsea players cannot match Pogba’s athleticism and physical strength. He also gave ripe bait to Daniel James, who did not waste the opportunity on his debut.
In total, Paul Pogba created four goalscoring opportunities in this match, the most of all other Man United players.
4. Victor Lindelof, The Playmaker of the Back Line
The presence of Harry Maguire had a positive effect on Victor Lindelof. In the match counter Chelsea, Lindelof became the most ball distributor of all Manchester United players.
The Swedish defender took off 54 successful passes throughout 90 minutes. This number is higher than the average of 44.3 successful passes of the player last season.
In fact, Lindelof had to adjust after Harry Maguire’s arrival. This left-handed defender must be shifted to the central right-hand side of the central defense with Harry Maguire occupying the center-left position he used to live with Leicester, the previous club.
5. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Has a Good Template
The match at Old Trafford showed that Manchester United had the right weapon when facing a team that set up with a high defensive line and pressed them. The presence of Maguire and Wan-Bissaka gave the team a solid base of defense, which they didn’t have last season, to then launch a quick counterattack.
Paul Pogba is the right figure to launch a fast attack transition to the front lines, as mentioned above. It could be that Manchester United will be happy to meet Big Six opponents this season, especially Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham who all play aggressively and often come down with high defensive lines.
