[ad_1]
Chelsea collected their second clean sheet in as many games at Old Trafford.
The first half saw very few opportunities from either side. Marcus Rashford forced a save from Edouard Mendy midway through the first half.
Chelsea had a penalty appeal rejected late in the half after Harry Maguire appeared to have had both arms on Cesar Azpilicueta.
In the second half, the Blues started on the Blues started slightly back foot with United dominating the ball. Edinson Cavani was about to score with his first touch ten minutes into the second half.
Frank Lampard gambled by hiring Tammy Abraham, Hakim Ziyech, and Mason Mount. However, it was United who got closer in the second half with Cavani’s shot blocked by Thiago Silva.
Here are our five things we learned from the Chelsea draw:
————
1. Timo Werner and Kai Havertz fought to make an impact
It’s fair to say that Chelsea’s front row was not in full force against United. Both men were unable to enter the game, and the midfield was also unable to provide any form of service to Havertz and Werner. Werner was clearly not coping and therefore decided to fight his way into the game but was clearly ineffective.
2. Thiago Silva is a breath of fresh air
Although Chelsea could not create many opportunities, their defense was on point. At the heart of the defense was Thiago Silva. Arguably, Thiago chose the man of the match in what was a passionate and serene performance. Part of his last defense helped the Blues keep a clean sheet. Silva has proven to be a real asset in recent games and will be instrumental in the future. Regardless of Silva being a short-term contract, he has really helped the bottom line so far with his experience.
3. Three in the back worked
Frank started with Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta and the game plan worked. It was clear that the Blues came to Old Trafford to keep a clean sheet and the back three deserve all the applause for their composed performances. United were unable to break through Chelsea’s well-trained bottom line.
4. Edouard Mendy is improving game by game
In a game of minimal opportunities, Manchester United overcame both teams’ offensive display. In the first half, Mendy was consistent when asked. However, his vital save at the end to deny Marcus Rashford earned the Blues a point. In four games, Mendy has kept three sheets to zero and is slowly but surely establishing himself as Chelsea’s certified number one.
5. Has Lampard yet found his strongest eleven?
Throughout the season thus far, Lampard has adopted a 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3 system. However, Frank returned to a three in the back formation, and his team kept the important clean sheet. The balance is still missing. Looking ahead, there are still some problems. The likes of Ziyech and Pulisic are clearly not a perfect match. Once the entire team is fully fit, which is almost the case, Frank needs to have established the starting eleven and that game plan going forward.
———
Next up for Frank Lampard’s team is FC Krasnodar in the Champions League.
———-
Follow Absolute Chelsea on: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube
[ad_2]
