Chelsea 0-1 United: Player Ratings
Bruno was a 8.5. Mainoo and Heaven were 8s. Dalot had one job and did it. Here's how every United player rated from the 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
A 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge on a day when United fought hard to keep a clean sheet. Bruno produced a moment, Cunha finished it, and a 19-year-old centre back held the back door shut against Cole Palmer and Liam Delap. Here's how they rated.
🏆 Match Ball: Bruno Fernandes
The one moment that won the match was his. A weighted pass through a defense United had been unable to break down in open play all afternoon, and Cunha was in. Captain's game. 8.5/10.
Goalkeeper
Lammens — 7/10 Didn't have to make any big saves after being called into action against Leeds so often. He did come off his line a few times to punch clear when Chelsea had United pinned deep. Composed, no nonsense.
Defense
Dalot — 8/10 Had one job: keep Garnacho from doing anything positive when he subbed on. Mission accomplished. Garnacho barely had a sniff all game, and Dalot still had the energy to get up the pitch when United needed an outlet. 8/10 just for that.
Mazraoui (at CB) — 7/10 Played out of position as a right-sided centre back and held up well. Experienced, composed, used his reading of the game to cover alongside a teenager. Not his natural position but he did the job.
Heaven — 8/10 The story of the game. 19 years old, signed from Arsenal by INEOS for about a million pounds, and he walked into Stamford Bridge, handled Delap, and put in a last-ditch tackle on Palmer in the box that was perfectly timed. The tackle wasn't a penalty no matter what Chelsea Twitter says. Alongside Yoro, this could be our CB pairing for the next decade.
Shaw — 6.5/10 At left back, quietly did what left backs are supposed to do. Didn't get bombed on, didn't provide a ton going forward, put in the defensive work the game required. The kind of performance you don't notice, which in a fullback is a compliment.
Midfield
Casemiro — 6.5/10 You can see him tiring toward the end of games now — he struggles to get about the pitch the way he used to. But he was out there directing traffic, providing heart, and coming up with a few key defensive headers in our box when United were under siege. Getting by on will and experience at this point, but still getting by.
Mainoo — 8/10 Carrick said this was the best performance he's seen from him in a United shirt, and it's hard to argue. Immense in the middle, shielded a makeshift defense, and gave Bruno the platform to do what he did. The midfield does not work without him right now. We need a quality midfield signing this summer, because if he twists an ankle in September, we have nothing.
Fernandes — 8.5/10 See Match Ball above. The pass for the goal was elite. Beyond that he dropped deep when we needed an outlet, ran himself into the ground, and was the captain United needed on a night when we needed a captain.
Attack
Mbeumo — 6/10 Worked hard, was an outlet when United needed one. Lacking some sharpness in the final third lately and this was another one of those days — didn't really threaten, didn't create much for others.
Cunha — 7.5/10 Scored the goal. Cool as you like. Made up for a poor touch in the box earlier that could have led to a shot on target. Didn't make the same mistake when the Bruno ball came in — took it first time and buried it.
Šeško — 6.5/10 Worked hard, got into good positions, no real service, but gave good hold-up play when United needed to get up the pitch.
Subs
Mount — 6.5/10 Came on and did a job, tidy and unglamorous. Got booed by the Chelsea fans and gave them the shush as he walked off after the final whistle. We love to see it. Extra half point for stealing that yellow card from Bruno.
Zirkzee — 6/10 Brief appearance, gave good hold-up play a few times when United were trying to get out of their own half. Did a few Zirkzee things.
Amad — 6/10 Came on and ran hard, closed down fullbacks, tried to get United out on the break.
Manager
Carrick — 7/10 Got the result. Set the team up to absorb pressure and hit on the break, and that's what happened. The football still looks like work in progress — Chelsea outplayed us in possession and created the better chances for most of the 90 — but Carrick deserves credit for man-management and for the kind of grit that wins 1-0 games away from home. Whether this is permanent-manager material or just an interim doing well with a tough hand, we'll find out in the coming weeks.
