Player Ratings: Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea

Manchester United emerged supreme against Chelsea, as the scoreline of 2-1 reflected more of the second half than the first. Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard canceled out the early effort from Willian.

For now, the Red Devils sit comfortably in the second place, whereas Chelsea are in quite a pickle. Here’s how the two teams fared in this tie:

Manchester United

De Gea- 6.7

Made mistakes uncharacteristic of him, particularly in the first goal, which could have been easily stopped by a keeper of his calibre. A below par performance.

Valencia- 7.1

Instrumental in nearly all of United’s counter-attacking runs. Gave Chelsea’s midfield a hard time to stabilize during much of the game.

Smalling- 8.2

Easily the best defender on the pitch in the second half after a sloppy first half. Made a couple of memorable blocks that would have otherwise gone for easy attempts at goal.

Lindelof- 7.0

While he didn’t exhibit any of his usual follies, much could have been done by him to play the game in a more fluid and composed manner, as opposed to the frenzy-stricken way he functioned.

Young- 6.5

Not his usual self, and was repeatedly trumped in his flank runs. He’ll have to watch out for such drops if he wishes to stay in the spot for more than just this season.

Pogba- 8.0

Placed in the comfort of 4-3-3, the Frenchman gave a much better performance than he has in recent weeks. Although, his sole shot at goal reflects what was lacking in United’s offensive ploys during the encounter. Regardless, he’ll be happy to have returned to 90-minute football again.

Matic- 8.0

Looked to be in a comfortable spot throughout the match and played the part of the holding midfielder down to perfection. With a pass-success percentage of nearly 90%, the former Chelsea man functioned as an apt conduit.

WATCH: How Conte Reacted When Mourinho Looked At Him

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McTominay- 7.2

Despite being relatively inexperienced to have been deployed in such a high-profile game, the youngster put up a fairly decent show. His techniques were not given much chance, however, his marking ability was of more importance in the game.

Martial- 6.9

Poor showing from the Frenchman despite being in a more controlled attacking spot. His assist to Lukaku’s opener, however, was the sole redeeming point in an otherwise lackluster game where the quality of play improved after he was subbed off.

Lukaku- 8.2

Easily United’s man of the match with a goal and an assist to his name. The Belgian played with a swagger and involvement that has been rare for the clinical striker, and has shown that he can impress against big opponents as well. His lone run in the dying minutes of the match was of absolutely world-class quality.

Sanchez- 7.1

A below par performance by United’s highest paid player. He appeared to get easily frustrated for much of the match, but played a crucial role in creating Lukau’s equalizer.

Substitutes

Lingard- 7.8

Yet again the man with the winner. Incredible effort to score the goal, and he has certainly given Mourinho a reason to give him a start more often rather than relegate him to a cameo role.

Eric Bailly- 5.0

Was brought on with the sole intention of providing United with more men at the back to counter Chelsea’s attacking intent in the dying minutes.

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Chelsea:

Courtois- 5.2

Made 3 crucial saves in the game, but couldn’t stop Lukaku and Lingard’s efforts going through.

Azpilicueta- 6.2

Looked agile in the first half, but lacked severely in consistency for the entire game. His pass success of 88% reflects a strong role in shrugging the game forward.

Christensen- 6.2

Chelsea’s best defender, but was poor in winning one-on-one duels, which nearly cost them on two occasions. Was also a minor factor in the first goal going through.

Rudiger- 5.6

Had a very bad game. Was the faulty cog of a Chelsea defense that seemed unsure in its approach.

Moses- 6.5

Very poor. Was unable to translate a good deal of Chelsea’s great ploys in the first half into a solid attacking attempt. His sole shot on target was the only contribution in an otherwise disappointing performance.

Kante- 7.0

With a pass success rate of 94%, Kante was the usual suspect in moving the ball throughout the pitch.

Drinkwater- 7.1

A surprising lack of penetrating ability from the midfielder, which would have otherwise aided the Blues to a more continuous threat in both halves.

Alonso- 6.1

A powerful showing but went often in vain. Made several contributions into the box, but none were translated into a goal. His own attempts were far from fruitful.

Willian- 8.5

Chelsea’s sole goalscorer for the game, and alongside Hazard, was the only player that was consistently a threat for both halves of the game. 3 of his 4 shots were on target, and towards the end, it seemed that any redemption for Conte’s men would come through him.

Hazard- 8.4

Provided the assist to Willian’s opener and was outstanding during his time on the pitch. With 4 key passes to his name, the Belgian will be disappointed the match ended the way it did.

Morata- 5.6

Chelsea’s worst player of the day. Barely made a contribution in the match, and only had 3 shots to show as an aftermath of what was a dangerous Chelsea team, particularly in the opening third of the encounter.

Substitutes

Fabregas- 4.0

Giroud- 5.9

Pedro- 5.5