Manchester United’s most underrated player against Chelsea proved why Rúben Amorim has shown a lot of faith in him so far this season.
Manchester United claimed their second Premier League win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford, thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
United started brightly and were handed a major boost inside five minutes when Chelsea keeper Robert Sánchez was sent off for bringing down Bryan Mbeumo on the edge of the box.
Fernandes broke the deadlock soon after, netting his 100th goal for the club, before Casemiro doubled the lead with a header. The Brazilian was then dismissed just before half-time.
Benjamin Šeško was withdrawn for Manuel Ugarte as Chelsea reshaped for the 10 v 10 battle, but their breakthrough only came in the final minutes when Trevoh Chalobah headed in from Reece James’ cross. Despite late pressure, United’s defence held firm and secured all three points on a rainy Manchester evening.
De Ligt was fantastic against Chelsea
It was by no means an easy game to play for anyone on the field, with almost all instructions and ideas going out of the window after Sanchez was taken off, but Matthijs de Ligt was a standout player in defence.
The centre-back started in a different position, playing as the right centre-back rather than the middle of the back three, but executed his game plan perfectly.
He received criticism while playing against Grimsby in August after frequently ending up so far forward, but against Chelsea, he completed 42 of his 49 attempted passes, had 67 touches, and even created a chance.
As for his defending, the 26-year-old was also just as strong. He made four clearances, two tackles, and four recoveries, and was only dribbled past twice during what was an end-to-end game. He also made an excellent clearance in the second half when Chelsea were growing in confidence.
Overall, amid a crazy game in Manchester, De Ligt was certainly a more underrated performer in what was a much-needed win on Saturday evening.
De Ligt is a firm Amorim favourite
Matthijs de Ligt has been the only defender Amorim has played all 90 minutes in every single one of Amorim’s Premier League games so far this season, and it’s not hard to understand why the United head coach has become such a big fan of the Netherlands international.
Despite his supposed slower speed and lack of flair, he has become increasingly comfortable playing both in the middle of the back three, as well as on the left and right-hand sides.
There were many questions surrounding whether De Ligt can finally become a stable, starting player after a sub-par period with Juventus and Bayern Munich, with his poor injury record cited. However, at United, this has been dispelled.
Playing all Premier League minutes this season under Amorim and still looking like a stalwart centre-back despite the defensive issues has proven his £35 million deal has been a good one thus far, and with age also on his side, there is potential for the centre-back to become a future captain at Old Trafford.
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