{"id":297357,"date":"2023-12-06T22:23:56","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T22:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=297357"},"modified":"2023-12-06T22:23:56","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T22:23:56","slug":"man-utd-deliver-perfect-response-as-erik-ten-hag-gets-it-spot-on-in-chelsea-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/man-utd-deliver-perfect-response-as-erik-ten-hag-gets-it-spot-on-in-chelsea-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Utd deliver perfect response as Erik ten Hag gets it spot on in Chelsea win"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pictures from Man Utd v Chelsea in the Premier League<\/h3>\n

Erik ten Hag needed a show of commitment from his side after the whispers of disunity which followed the defeat to Newcastle and he got it at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Two goals from Scott McTominay – in either half – lifted Manchester United into the top six as they extended their ten-year unbeaten home league run against Chelsea<\/p>\n

Ten Hag took direct action after the no-show at St James\u2019 Park, dropping Marcus Rashford and his\u00a0revamped United line-up responded with a vibrant performance which, if not perfect, was certainly full of energy. It was an attractive, fluid, occasionally chaotic contest – which was much to do with both sides\u2019 weaknesses as their strengths – but even though Chelsea brought an admirable positivity to it, United deserved to win it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

United made the sharper start with Rasmus Hojlund thwarted by the left hand of Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal with a first-time shot in the fourth minute. It was nothing though, compared to the heroics of the Chelsea \u2018keeper five minutes later as he threw himself to his right to keep out a penalty from Bruno Fernandes.<\/p>\n

It was a good save from an average penalty with United\u2019s misery compounded when Alejandro Garnacho blazed the rebound over the bar. United had been awarded the spot-kick by referee Christopher Kavanagh after a VAR intervention which picked up a stamp by Enzo Fernandez on the foot of Antony in the penalty area. That old Argentina-Brazil thing again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was Sanchez keeping Chelsea in it as he continued to frustrate the home side, blocking Garnacho\u2019s shot with his feet and then diving to his right to smother Antony\u2019s strike. However, the dam had to break and it finally did in the 19th minute through Scott McTominay who was on hand to finish accurately after Harry Maguire\u2019s shot had been blocked by Marc Cucerella.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chelsea, without the suspended Conor Gallagher, had a claim for a penalty of their own turned down in the 25th minute when Raheem Sterling went to ground in the United area with Victor Lindelof in close proximity. Sanchez made a remarkable double save to prevent McTominay making it 2-0 in the 32nd minute but it took some equally sharp goalkeeping at the other end to prevent Nicolas Jackson equalising as the put-upon United \u2018keeper raced out to block the Chelsea striker at close range after Sterling had sprung the offside trap.<\/p>\n

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