A makeshift Manchester United defence did not even have to resort to hair pulls to keep out a goalshy Chelsea. The unfamiliar pairing of Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui grew into a tepid game after a shaky start, making the full-time boos inevitable. Stamford Bridge was an unhappy place again, the unrest in the stands growing as a fourth consecutive defeat in the Premier League approached, and the only time the home fans stopped pining for the old Chelsea was when Mason Mount came on to help United protect their 1-0 lead.
Think back to Porto in May 2021. Back then, long before anyone in west London had heard of BlueCo, it was Mount who created the winner when Chelsea became kings of Europe for the second time. Five years on, though, this is a club that cannot even be sure that they will be in the Champions League next season.
Michael Carrick's verdict
I can’t play that one down – that was massive for us. They had some chances but I thought Ayden and Nouss were incredible really. Ayden’s such a young age and [Noussair Mazraoui] doesn’t really play centre-back in a back four.
[What was the first thing you had to do when you became manager?] Make the players feel good. Make them appreciate playing for this great club, which is easy to forget sometimes. And then try to put them in a shape that we thought suited everyone. I think we can play better, there are loads of layers to come. But results build momentum and give us a foundation.
[On Bruno Fernandes] His impact has been immense since the first time I was here. He’s a bit personality, he’s the captain for a reason. He’s vocal and he’s just a big presence on the pitch.
We haven’t had a great record here over the years. We can play better but some games are about getting a result; there’s no shame in that. Having that moment with the fans at the end, the boys enjoyed that one.
[On his future] I love being here, I love what I’m doing and I want to be part of nights like this. I understand the situation; it’s a little bit out of my hands. We’ll see what happens.
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