Ruben Amorim got the win he so badly needed as Manchester United found themselves singing in the rain with a 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Amid a fierce rain storm that battered the North West, United scored twice in a frantic first half that also saw Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez sent off and Casemiro following suit for United on the stroke of half-time.
Daily Mail Sport’s NATHAN SALT picks out some of the big United talking points from this incredible affair…
Bruno Fernandes inspired Manchester United to a crucially important victory over Chelsea
Amid question marks over whether he could get sacked, Ruben Amorim’s side responded
PHYSICALITY IS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
Two changes from the humbling turnover away to Manchester City was to bolster the physicality with Harry Maguire and Casemiro.
Many United fans had assumed Maguire was an either-or with Matthjis de Ligt. Instead, Ruben Amorim played both.
What that did, along with Casemiro sat in front was allow United to impose their will on a Chelsea team that looked rattled inside two minutes.
Amorim has called for more aggression and particularly here at Old Trafford it has felt during the entire Amorim tenure that teams have turned up here and been the bully with little resistance.
So to see Luke Shaw squaring up to Enzo Fernandez, Maguire bumping Joao Pedro before having verbals, and De Ligt flattening Andrey Santos will have been a sight to behold for the United head coach.
The Casemiro sending off slightly soured the day but United were 2-0 up then, with Maguire excellent and Sesko so crucial in the early exchanges where the game was one.
Brawn 1-0 Flair.
United bolstered their physicality with Harry Maguire (left) and Casemiro and it was crucial
AMAD FORM IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN
It feels to have gone under the radar so far this season just how badly Amad Diallo is struggling for form.
At his best the diminutive Ivorian doesn’t need to think about his shot or his final pass in critical areas of the pitch. He toys with full-backs and, as he showed a lot last season, has fun.
That’s been missing all season long and here, playing in the left No 10 role, an unorthodox position for him, too often he found himself dithering and overthinking.
One such instance in the first half, when a cute through ball set him free in the right-hand side of the penalty area, saw him pass up a first-time cross to an unmarked Benjamin Sesko. He hesitated, tried to shuffle out of a tight space and ran it out of play.
United have a multitude of problems this season but recharging Amad must take on critical importance if he is going to continue to start matches.
Amad Diallo (right) has been off the boil all season and it’s about time that it gets addressed
MBEUMO LIVES UP TO BILLING
When Amorim sat down with CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox and outlined exactly why he wanted Premier League proven players, displays such as this one from Bryan Mbeumo was exactly why.
Amorim wanted Matheus Cunha, Mbeumo, and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. He got two of those three.
No adaptation to a new league was one justification for it. Not being surprised by the weight of the Manchester United shirt was another.
And so to see Mbeumo scampering away down the right wing with no fear and a freedom that has often plagued those who played the position before him – looking at you Antony and Jadon Sancho – underlined why the Cameroon international has been one of United’s smartest buys in years.
Mbeumo has such a good spatial awareness and his pace in behind has defenders’ heads on a swivel.
His run through on goal that saw him wiped out by Robert Sanchez was a run he has made in so many games this season.
Keep him fit and United *actually* have a chance of doing something this season.
Bryan Mbeumo showed once again why Amorim desperately wanted Premier League proven
SESKO ISN’T HOJLUND 2.0
For those not watching, to see Benjamin Sesko hooked at half-time may comer with snorts of derision.
No goal again. How much? This is Rasmus Hojlund 2.0. Etcetera.
But that’s a lazy assessment of a performance – cut short solely because of Casemiro’s red card requiring someone to come off to tweak the shape – where Sesko was hugely influential on and off the ball.
It was Sesko’s crucial flick on that saw Mbeumo set free on goal to be wiped out by Sanchez and then get sent off. Without Sesko’s flick on, it doesn’t happen.
There were countless other occasions where fans oohed and aahed at his hold-up, once taking a fizzed in ball down on his chest before teeing up Amad in the box… only for the Ivorian to waste it (see above).
His movement, his aerial capability and his tactical discipline are there for all to see.
The goals will come and to say they won’t suggests to me you have been watching with your eyes closed.
Benjamin Sesko didn’t score but showed plenty to suggest he fits better than Rasmus Hojlund
STOP PRIORITISING DEFENDERS!
This obsession Amorim has with mixing up his back three DURING matches has got to stop sooner or later.
Gary Neville was baffled by it in the defeat at the Etihad Stadium and for as talented as Leny Yoro is, taking off Maguire, the best player in a United shirt on the pitch, for the young Frenchman, ultimately leading to a miscommunication from a cross that Yoro is beaten in the air for, feels like being the creator of your own downfall.
Chelsea improved in the second half but taking Sesko away at half-time took United’s out ball away when this was inevitably going to become a direct type of finale.
And add to that leaving the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo on the bench, two players who are neat and tidy on the ball and actually want to put their foot on it, in favour of Yoro and defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte is head-scratching done the first time and straight up strange when it’s a common occurrence.
It just invites pressure. I don’t and won’t get it.
