Manchester United secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford on Wednesday night (December 6), becoming the first of the so-called Premier League ‘Big Six’ to beat the Blues this season. Midfielder Scott McTominay was the star of the show, as his brace allowed Manchester United to bounce back from their defeat to Newcastle United in the best possible way. The victory saw the Red Devils to climb to sixth place in the Premier League rankings while Chelsea stayed put in the 10th position.
Manchester United Showed Fighting Spirit In Chelsea Win
Only seven minutes into the game, Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez brought down Manchester United winger Antony inside the area. As per regulation, a VAR check ensued, leading to a penalty for the home side. Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes was entrusted with the responsibility to take the spot-kick, but the Portuguese failed to put it away. Fernandes messed up both the power and direction of his shot, hitting it tamely and straight at the goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez comfortably parried the effort to keep Chelsea from going behind in the ninth minute.
Manchester United eventually got their noses in front 10 minutes later, with McTominay slamming home from close range. The goal was thoroughly deserved, as United had not let Chelsea relax from the first blast of the whistle.
The Mancunians did not do much wrong in the next 26 minutes, but a moment of magic from Cole Palmer snatched away their advantage right before the half-time break. The former Manchester City man danced his way beyond challenges inside the United box before opening up a sliver of space and finding the bottom-left corner of United’s goal. Andre Onana could do very little to keep out Palmer’s low strike.
🔴🏴 McTominay, Man United’s top goalscorer with 5 goals so far.
“What changed? The manager. The way we approached the game and some light training sessions to keep the energy high with a lot of games coming and keep the pressure on the teams above us”. pic.twitter.com/OvexbsBHI0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 7, 2023
Manchester United took a while to get back into the groove, but their return was splendid, to say the least. In the 70th minute, Alejandro Garnacho swung in a delicious cross for McTominay at the far post, allowing the Scottish midfielder to find the netting with an excellent header.
The Red Devils almost gave away their advantage in the 91st minute when Reece James found Armando Broja’s head with a peachy cross. The striker did well to direct his effort toward goal, but the woodwork came in the way to deny Chelsea their equalizer.
McTominay Has Been United’s Most Effective Midfielder Lately
Having endured a slow start this season, McTominay has firmly established himself as a first-teamer under Erik ten Hag, and deservedly so. He has been a powerhouse in midfield, passing accurately, pressing hard, and popping up with important goals when required. The Scotland international has featured in United’s last eight Premier League matches, pitching with an impressive five goals.
Most importantly, all of his goals have directly helped United put points on the Premier League board. Coming off the bench with only three minutes to play, McTominay scored a brace to propel United to a 2-1 win over Brentford on Matchday 8. On Matchday 9, he scored again to take his team to a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United. And of course, his excellent display against Chelsea allowed United to return to winning ways in the English top flight.
McTominay is not as highly rated as Bruno Fernandes or Casemiro, but it is safe to say he has easily outperformed them both in the 2023-24 season.
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