Posted by Here are my three points from Manchester United’s 2-0 win at Chelsea in a battle of Champions League chasers.
VAR Takes Center Stage (Again)
Countless column inches have been taken up by VAR discussions in the technology’s debut campaign in the Premier League. Most of the controversy has centered around the application of the offside rule, with many goals called back by millimeters. These marginal decisions have raised questions about whether a player gains a “clear and obvious” advantage by having a toe or shoulder just in front of the last defender.
Nevertheless, relying on technology instead of the human eye for offside decisions is a welcome advancement in a sport that is played at a quicker pace year-on-year. The benefits of VAR for offside calls was evident when an Olivier Giroud strike in the 77th minute was ruled out after replays showed that Giroud’s right foot was ahead of last man Harry Maguire.
However, Maguire should have been sent off long before then, in an incident that evidenced the main problem with VAR. The world’s most expensive defender was pushed out of bounds in a tussle with Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi midway through the first half, with Anthony Taylor calling a foul on the Belgian. While on his back, Maguire appeared to intentionally raise the bottom of his right boot forcefully towards Batshuayi and make contact with the striker’s nether regions. Inexplicably, VAR referee Chris Kavanagh did not overturn the initial non-call and show Maguire the red card that his petulance deserved. As head referee, Taylor should have the final say on such an important call. Yet, by not encouraging referees to go to the VAR booth and view replays for themselves, the Premier League is ceding control of matches to a referee who is watching the match miles away on TV.
Lampard Deserves Batshuayi Blame
It seemed that Chelsea legend Frank Lampard could do no wrong in his first few months as Blues head coach. Despite a summer transfer ban forcing Chelsea to rely on young players, a top-4 finish seemed nailed-on after an impressive start to the season.
Yet, the loss against United leaves Chelsea clinging onto 4th place. They are only a point ahead of London rivals Tottenham and three ahead of the Red Devils, with a host of other teams within striking distance in a crowded top half of the table. Saturday’s clash against a José Mourinho-led Spurs could define Chelsea’s season.
Chelsea’s lack of attacking firepower will be a huge worry for Lampard heading into the Tottenham match. Star winger Christian Pulisic has been out since the turn of the year, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham also missed the United match. The absence of center-forward Abraham is a particularly sensitive one for Lampard. Enjoying a breakout campaign in West London after loan spells at Swansea and Aston Villa, Abraham has carried the goal-scoring load for Chelsea.
With Abraham in the stands, Lampard was forced to choose between Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud at center-forward. He chose the Belgian, who made only his 5th start with the Blues and his first since January 2018. Supported by Pedro and Willian in a 4-3-3, Batshuayi struggled mightily. He had trouble holding the ball up, and missed Chelsea’s best chances of the first half. A Mason Mount cutback from the left byline found Batshuayi on the penalty spot in the 26th minute, but the former Marseille striker was off balance and steered his left-footed curler wide of the post. Batshuayi then led a rapid break with Pedro in first half injury time, but could only drag his shot wide after the Spaniard found him in the box. When an errant Batshuayi back heel turned the ball over early in the second half, groans could be heard among the Chelsea supporters.
Batshuayi was replaced by Giroud in the 68th minute, and the Frenchmen quickly exposed the folly of Lampard’s decision not to start him. His hold-up play was sharp, and he would have brought a goal back for Chelsea with a trademark near post header had VAR not intervened. Still an integral part of Didier Deschamps’ France setup at 33, it is hard to understand why the experienced Giroud was not preferred to Batshuayi for this match. The Belgian has promised much but delivered little in West London, while Giroud is a proven Premier League goal-getter from his time with Arsenal. The injury issues and VAR did not help Chelsea’s cause against United, but Lampard’s decision to start Batshuayi cost Chelsea three points.
Huge Win for United but Attacking Improvements Needed for Champions League Challenge
What an odd season this has been for United. They have lurched from one crisis to another, with fan unrest aimed at ownership the backdrop to dire league form, especially against the Premier League’s lesser lights. The long-standing disenchantment with the Glazer family and executive-vice chairman Ed Woodward finally bubbled over a few days after a dreadful 2-0 loss at home to Burnley, when Woodward’s house was attacked by United supporters.
Despite their issues both on and off the field, this smash-and-grab win in West London leaves United within touching distance of the Champions League qualification that would make their season a success. United repeated the counterattacking setup that served them so well in their shock 2-1 win at Manchester City in December, looking to hit Chelsea quickly on the break when possession was turned over.
Yet, United’s victory came in spite of coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s conservative approach. Without Marcus Rashford up top, Anthony Martial was barely involved in the first half until he sprung to life to head home the opener just before halftime. The January purchase of Bruno Fernandes already looks like money well spent, with the former Sporting star United’s most dangerous attacking threat for much of the match. However, United don’t have a ball-playing center-back or cerebral midfielder capable of consistently providing the Portuguese creator with decent service. Former Chelsea man Nemanja Matić was most successful at passing through Chelsea’s midfield to find Fernandes, but he was also guilty of multiple turnovers in his final third that brought pressure on his backline.
Even with a well-supplied Fernandes and a healthy Rashford, United need more goal-scorers. Martial’s super header was his 9th goal in 20 matches in 2019/20, but he has never scored more than 11 goals in a Premier League season. Wide forward Daniel James hasn’t scored in his last 21 appearances after netting three times in his first four appearances. The main back-up to Martial and Rashford is January panic buy Odion Ighalo, who has been playing in China since 2017 and hit the net only twice in his last 32 Premier League appearances with Watford before leaving for Asia. In order to maximize a vastly improved defense (4th best this year with 29 goals conceded after letting in 54 in 2018-19) United need more quality in advanced positions and a cogent plan for how to exploit those players.
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