Four things we learned as Man United defeat Chelsea in crunch clash

Manchester United took a massive step towards securing Champions League football after putting rivals Chelsea to the sword at Stamford Bridge this evening.

A drab match devoid of quality was ultimately decided by a superb goal from Matheus Cunha , laid on a plate by the talismanic Bruno Fernandes .

Michael Carrick was forced to field a makeshift backline, with four of his senior centre-backs ruled out of the crunch clash for a top five place. But United came through the test unscathed, gifting themselves a 10-point cushion over the Blues in sixth.

Here are the four things we learned as the 44-year-old coach remains firmly on course to be handed the reins at Old Trafford permanently after avoiding a banana skin in west London.

Noussair Mazraoui was the full-back handed the responsibility of playing in the unfamiliar centre-back role alongside Ayden Heaven, who was making his first start under Carrick. And while the Morocco international struggled at times with Chelsea’s aerial bombardment, he ultimately showed why United executives consider him one of the club’s best signings in years.

Comfortable in possession, smart and strong in equal measure when challenging for the ball, and a leader for his 19-year-old partner, it was a great performance in testing circumstances for Mazraoui. It marks the ninth position the 28-year-old has been deployed in since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2024 – a testament to a footballing education in Ajax’s esteemed academy.

Master of all trades; full-back is just one.

There is a growing sense last summer’s big-money trio, comprised of match-winner Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko , are an uncomfortable fit as a forward line.

Both Cunha and Mbeumo operate at their best when inverting inside to run at, or behind, the defence. However, this is a similar area to where Sesko wants to occupy, with the 6’5 Slovenian also begging for whipped balls into the box from a pair of wingers more concerned with driving into the box themselves.

It’s little surprise each attacker’s best moments of link-up play came with Fernandes, a player capable of turning Stevie Wonder into a lethal marksman, rather than each other. Given United are intent on investing the bulk of the summer budget into midfield, the frontline will have to start developing better chemistry moving forward.

Fernandes simply must win the PFA’s Player of the Year award. There is not a single competitor, be it Erling Haaland or Declan Rice, who has come close to matching the Portuguese talisman’s imperious form this season.

A rampaging run down the right-hand side was followed by a pinpoint driven cross for Cunha to convert with aplomb into the top corner of Robert Sanchez’s goal. It’s his 18th assist of the season, drawing him within three of breaking the all-time Premier League record – currently held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne with 20.

While success this season for the Red Devils will be a return to the Champions League, the club captain deserves to have his name etched into English footballing history. There is also a growing sense INEOS may have to award him an improved contract to lock down his future amid reports of a bombshell exit this summer.

Fernandes’ current deal contains a £57 million release clause for teams outside of England, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain understood to be keeping close tabs. INEOS cannot afford to let their star player even look at the exit door at Old Trafford. Pay him what he wants.

Carrick’s remit from INEOS when taking charge as interim boss was simple: deliver Champions League football next season. Tonight constitutes his most important result in achieving this goal so far, even if it was not a performance which will have improved or harmed his chances of becoming permanent head coach.

United were laboured for large parts of the match, struggling to counter-attack effectively and break up Chelsea’s rhythm in possession. But his side remained resolute and committed for the whole 90 minutes – and sometimes that is enough to secure all three points.

Whether it will secure him the job remains to be seen, but it was a defining night for the Wallsend native, given the criticism he would have faced had United fallen to their competitors for Europe after the abject 2-1 loss to Leeds at the start of the week.

One final point from the battle at the Bridge was validation for INEOS’ decision to part ways with Alejandro Garnacho last summer, even though many supporters decried the loss of an exciting academy star. The Argentine winger was atrocious this evening, as he has been all season in the capital. £40m with a 10% sell-on clause is one of the hierarchy’s best pieces of business since taking the helm.

The Red Devils are next in action on Monday 27th April against Brentford at Old Trafford.

Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images

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