Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: Five talking points as Red Devils maintain unbeaten run in post-Erik ten Hag era
Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the second game of the post-Erik ten Hag era at Old Trafford on Sunday, November 3. The Red Devils gave a valiant, albeit flawed, account of themselves in the Premier League match and will be keen to build on their performance against a side doing far better in the league at the moment.
A fabulous Moises Caicedo (74') strike canceled out a cooly dispatched Bruno Fernandes spot-kick (70') as the sides shared the points at the final whistle. Here are five notable talking points from the game:
#1 The refereeing:
Much has been said about the inconsistent refereeing on display in the Premier League recently. The officials have a thankless job that often sees them maligned by one or both sets of fans in a football match. However, referee Robert Jones made a few questionable decisions in Sunday's match.
The officiating team missed an incident in the Manchester United box in the first half that merited a second look and made decisions that negatively impacted the flow of the game.
#2 Manchester United's new manager bounce
The Red Devils parted ways with Erik ten Hag on Monday after just over two seasons with the Dutchman at the helm. United are currently led by his compatriot and former striker Ruud van Nistlerooy on an interim basis. The Premier League giants have looked like a team reborn in their two games since the former Ajax manager was dismissed. They defeated Leicester City 5-2 in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
It remains to be seen if the Red Devils will continue in this vein following the start of Ruben Amorim's tenure. However, the fans will be pleased to see their team put up a fight on the pitch for the first time this season.
#3 Bruno Fernandes finds the back of the net again for Manchester United
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has found his shooting boots again following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag, bagging three goals in his last two games after his penalty against Chelsea. The Portuguese maestro had failed to open his account in his previous games for the club this season.
The former Sporting CP midfielder is playing under his fourth manager at Old Trafford and will hope he can maintain his purple patch after Amorim takes the reins on November 11.
#4 Moises Caicedo is a gem of a footballer
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo showed why he cost a Premier League record fee last summer with a masterful performance in the heart of midfield. His glorious strike to draw the game level and overall performance was a joy to behold and Enzo Maresca will be pleased with the Ecuadorian's performance.
The former Brighton and Hove Albion star completed 84% of his passes in the game and won nine duels in the match to underline his fine performance for Chelsea.
#5 Joshua Zirkzee continues to struggle for Manchester United
Joshua Zirkzee came on for six minutes against Chelsea and his brief cameo underlined his current situation with the Red Devils. The Dutchman looked utterly bereft of confidence and held up and ruined a glorious counter-attacking break shortly after coming on.