Manchester United secured an important 2-1 win over Chelsea on the weekend and one player showed some immense leadership in the game.
Manchester United began on the front foot, showing composure and belief despite a week of criticism for poor form.
Ruben Amorim’s men set the tone early, and Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was dismissed in just the fifth minute for fouling Bryan Mbeumo outside the box.
United quickly made their advantage count, with Bruno Fernandes breaking the deadlock before Casemiro doubled the lead from a scrappy effort in the box.
The game shifted late in the first half, however, when Casemiro received a second yellow card and was sent off, handing Chelsea a lifeline.
The second half, played 10 vs 10, saw few clear chances until Trevoh Chalobah headed in to reduce the deficit with ten minutes to go. Despite the late pressure, Amorim’s side held firm to secure a hard-fought victory and all three points.
‘Excellent’ Man Utd star showed immense leadership vs Chelsea
United were defending for their lives in the final minutes of the game once it became 2-1 and they successfully secured the three points.
That was partly because they played smartly in those closing stages, and a key moment from Matheus Cunha showed immense leadership.
The Brazilian international came on as a second half substitute after returning from injury and had the difficult job of providing a focal point for the Reds. Fans labelled his cameo as ‘excellent’.
After seven minutes were added on at the end of the game, United needed to be smart and Cunha took things into his own hands when the ball broke to him just inside the Reds’ half.
The forward drove into the Chelsea half and while many United players in recent years would’ve got flustered and lost the ball, leading to another Chelsea attack, he knew exactly what to do.
Cunha drew a foul from Tosin Adarabioyo, who received a booking, and earned his team a free-kick in the Chelsea third and it essentially secured the result.
Bruno Fernandes is often the man who provides leadership in attacking areas on the pitch but Cunha did the same at the end of the game with the Portuguese star off the pitch.
It is something that might sound simple, but as United fans, we have seen those type of opportunities dealt with so poorly in the past.
United worked hard for three points
United should have made things a lot easier against Chelsea. Without Casemiro’s sending off, Amorim’s men could have won 4-0 and gained plenty of confidence.
But they will also take a lot from those final minutes where the team had to fight. Cunha was not the only one who showed leadership, with Matthijs de Ligt running the defence.
Read More: Player Ratings: Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
It felt like Chelsea were going to find an equaliser but Amorim’s men made sure to come away from the game with three important points.
As we’ve seen before, though, this result will not mean much if the team cannot build on it in upcoming games. United face Brentford and Sunderland before the next international break.
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