Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea: 5 Things We Learned
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be beaming after Manchester United were able to defeat Chelsea 4-0 at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring via a penalty in the first-half following which United took total control in the second forty-five minutes.
1. Solskjaer Will Be Pleased
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept harping on about how the pre-season would do the side heaps of good and his words have certainly come true. The United that Old Trafford saw was a radically transformed team, despite their flaws.
The first-half was a see-saw when it came to possession but as soon as they took charge of the game, there was simply no turning back. The Norwegian will be particularly proud of the fact that his high-press worked effectively and the fluidity of the front-line caused much trouble to the Chelsea defense.
This also happens to be United’s biggest win over the London side since 1965, practically a lifetime ago.
2. Promising Debuts
Daniel James scoring minutes after coming on to the pitch is the stuff that cements Old Trafford’s position as the Theatre of Dreams. The pacey winger was impressive on the flanks and seems destined to continue Ryan Giggs’ Welsh legacy with United.
Similarly, the new presence of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the back was a fresh change for United. The centre-back brought more bite to the crucial spot and was also a threat up-front. Similarly, Wan-Bissaka practically blocked the entirety of the flank in the first-half, containing the damage that Emerson could have done.
While United’s fans aren’t happy with how few signings the club made this window, they certainly won’t be complaining about these three.
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3. 50 Million Down the Drain, Tony Martial Is 9 Again.
Ever since Anthon Martial retained the no.9 shirt at Old Trafford, it seemed certain that great things would be destined of him.
While it was Marcus Rashford that notched two goals, the Frenchman showed more creativity in his forward runs and positional plays. These two youngsters can certainly fill a massive attacking gap for the club.
In fact, one of them may very well surpass the elusive 20-goal mark that Robin van Persie last attained as a Red Devil.
4. Baptism of Fire for Frank Lampard
One does have to feel bad for Lampard. While he certainly didn’t harbor any illusions that this game would be an easy one, it is unlikely he would have expected this big a loss either.
However, Chelsea fans will have to get behind their gaffer and former player and place their trust in him for the long run. After all, the Blues showed much promise in the first-half and the attacking threat displayed by the likes of Emerson and Abraham can be built upon.
Who knows, Lampard may just look back at this loss as a lesson he needed to learn early on.
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5. Pogba Just Became More Attractive
The creative presence of Paul Pogba in United’s midfield was a sight to be reckoned with. While the Frenchman did have his shortcomings in the opening minutes, he was quick to shrug them off.
The two assists he provided indicate the sheer vision that he has and the second-half bout of brilliance is a promising sight.
However, this may encourage Zinedine Zidane all the more to go all out for him while a few weeks remain in the transfer window. At the same time, after this display, United may wish to part with him even less.
