dyton mupawaenda
MANCHESTER. — Moises Caicedo’s blistering second-half strike cancelled out a penalty from Bruno Fernandes as Chelsea salvaged a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on yesterday in the home side’s first Premier League game since the sacking of manager Eric ten Hag.
Chelsea are fourth in the table on 18 points while United, who had interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dugout, are 13th on 12 points after 10 games.
United’s captain Fernandes scored from the spot in the 70th minute after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez caught Rasmus Hojlund’s foot when diving for the ball. Fernandes sent Sanchez the wrong way, prompting a delighted Van Nistelrooy to leap in the air in celebration.
But the mood in Old Trafford swiftly shifted when Casemiro failed to fully clear Chelsea’s corner, leaving Caicedo to fire a low volley that Andre Onana managed to just get a hand on, though he could not stop it sailing into the bottom corner. Ten Hag was sacked last Monday with United languishing in 14th in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim was named as his replacement on Friday and will arrive at the club on November 11.
The fact honours were even was probably about right.
Where United are at the minute it seemed like a decent result for interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy who saw no lack of effort from his players.
‘Tried hard but must do better’, the report card will say, which you might say is a step up from Erik ten Hag’s final games. While there were no goals in the first period you couldn’t take your eyes off the pitch.
That final bit of quality was lacking but the intensity from both sides certainly was not.
Van Nistelrooy’s first Premier League game in charge certainly seemed to bring more energy out of the players than recent ones under the departed Dutchman.
Captain Fernandes in particular looked up for it constantly demanding the ball.
It would be Chelsea who had the early chances, however.
When Caicedo nicked the ball off Manuel Ugarte he fed Cole Palmer whose shot was blocked by the sliding Matthijs de Ligt. From the resulting corner, Noni Madueke’s near post header hit the post.
Then when United tried to play it out from the back, which always sets nerves jangling at Old Trafford, Nicolas Jackson got in ahead of Casemiro but sent the ball over the top.
Marcus Rashford started to get hold of the ball and go on his trademark runs down the flank.
If incoming boss Ruben Amorim can rediscover Rashforfd’s very best form there is still some player there.
When he got to the byline on 21 minutes his cross was blocked by the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and Fernandes put the follow-up wide.
There was a slick United move when Rasmus Hojlund went charging down the wing and squared the ball across the top of the box. Rashford stepped over it to give Alejandro Garnacho the chance but he fired the ball too near to the goalkeeper and it was easily saved.
When Ugarte was fouled on the edge of the box referee Robert Jones was a bit too quick with his whistle as the ball broke to Hojlund. It was as well Sanchez saved his effort for Jones sake as there would have been no little controversy had it gone in for him not allowing play to continue. — SUN.
Online Reporter