Chelsea vs Manchester United: 3 things we learned

Jadon Sancho gets another massive boost

There is no secret that Jadon Sancho has struggled ever since arriving at Manchester United in the summer from Borussia Dortmund.

He was expected to come in and immediately establish himself as a starter for the Red Devils but that has not happened. In fact, he has found himself as an unused substitute at times.

It does look like he might be finding his feet now though. This time last weekend he had never scored or assisted for Manchester United. But now, he has managed to score in back-to-back games in what must be a huge boost for the English youngster.

Of course, one could argue that it was an absolute gift from Jorginho, who lost the ball as the last man in defence and Sancho had the entire Chelsea half to run before he slotted it coolly past Edouard Mendy. And yes, it was a massive mistake on the part of the Italian international.

But then, Sancho deserves a lot of credit for reacting so quickly to get the ball and then keeping his head in front of goal.

Michael Carrick’s Cristiano Ronaldo gamble pays off

It is safe to say that Michael Carrick made a brave decision by dropping Cristiano Ronaldo from such a big game. And if the Red Devils had lost this one, a lot of questions would have been asked about the caretaker manager.

On this occasion though, it paid off. While Ronaldo is still a brilliant goalscorer, he is not the heaviest presser of the ball. And Manchester United also came in knowing they were going to sit deep and soak up the pressure from Chelsea.

Ultimately, it was Sancho’s pressing that led to Manchester United getting the goal and it is safe to say that on this occasion, Carrick made the right decision by starting Ronaldo on the bench.