Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United delivered a tactical masterclass to outwit his old side Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday and thus keeping their hopes of a top-four finish alive and running. A 2-0 victory over league-leaders Chelsea also meant that they have been able to set the cat amongst the pigeons with the Blues now only four points ahead of Tottenham.
The Red Devils were hungrier than the Blues for a win and it showed on the pitch as they pressed Chelsea high up the pitch and never gave the likes of Eden Hazard any space. Marcus Rashford scored the opening goal in the first half which set the ball rolling for the remainder of the game.
Chelsea were denied any chance to get back into the game which was evident from the fact that the Blues did not complete even one pass inside Manchester United's 18-yard box. In the second half, Ander Herrera scored with a deflected shot and sealed the victory for his side.
Here are the player ratings for the exhilarating game between the two superpowers of English football:
Manchester United
David De Gea – 7/10
Though he reacted quickly whenever he was called on for, the Spaniard didn't have much to do against the Blues. He had a quiet game as Chelsea could not trouble the United goal even on one occasion.
Antonio Valencia – 7.5/10
Valencia was strong defensively and never gave Eden Hazard a hint of space to work with. He was good on the ball and burst forward often when he had the opportunity. But his game was made easier by Marcos Alonso's absence as Cesar Azpilicueta hardly got forward to trouble the Ecuadorian.
Eric Bailly – 8/10
Bailly met his match in Costa and emerged the winner as he outmuscled the hot header striker whenever needed. He intercepted many through balls and his positioning sense was near perfect throughout the game.
Marcos Rojo – 7.5/10
Rojo was primarily given the job of winding up Diego Costa than doing his regular central defender's job. He succeeded in both roles as Costa was frustrated for the entire duration whilst Rojo cleared any danger that came in his way.
Matteo Darmian – 8/10
Darmian was told not to indulge in going forward and provide numbers in the back for Chelsea's counter attacks. He did that brilliantly and was not beaten easily on his flank. His distribution was also neat as he seldom gave away possession.
Ashley Young – 8/10
A captain's performance by Young. He started the game slowly but grew as the match went on and looked solid as ever. He displayed immense work rate and closed down his marker every time they looked threatening. The only fault in his performance was his shooting which was way below par.
Marouane Fellaini – 8.5/10
Fellaini dictated the tempo of the game and never looked shy from getting on the ball. He did the basics right which was the need of the hour and also was quick in reacting whenever he lost the ball. A complete change of fortunes for Fellaini under the Special one.
Paul Pogba – 9/10
Finally, it was a performance which everyone was waiting for from the world's most expensive player. He was simply magnificent. Pogba defended like a man on a mission and hardly made any mistakes. He did not overcomplicate things – the biggest achievement.
Ander Herrera - 9.5/10
A complete performance from United's best midfielder on current form. It was arguably his best game this season as he man marked Hazard out of the game which in itself is a huge thing to do. He then capped it off by scoring the second goal and putting his side in the driving seat.
Jesse Lingard - 9/10
Lingard ran and ran and ran. He literally never stopped running. It was a kind of a performance which earned him a huge standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful when he was subbed off. Along with his work rate, his link-up play with Rashford was also brilliant.
Marcus Rashford - 9.5/10
The youngster was at his devastating best as he ran behind the lines and provided David Luiz with his worst nightmare. He scored a delightful goal and looked threatening to do more damage whenever he received the ball.
Substitutions
Michael Carrick - 8/10
He was brought on to see out the game with ease and he did just that effortlessly.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 6/10
He used his physicality well at times but overused it once which made him earn a yellow card.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah - N/A
The youngster was brought on in stoppage time and hardly got a kick of the ball.
Chelsea
Asmir Begovic - 5/10
The deputy goalkeeper was given a rare start in Courtois' absence but failed to keep out United attacker's at bay. He was unsighted for the second goal but could have done better with Rashford's opener
Gary Cahill - 5/10
Cahill was at fault for Herrera's goal as he bizarrely helped Lingard to get the ball back. He never looked convincing and was booked in the second half.
David Luiz - 4.5/10
The Brazilian was beaten by pace as Rashford tormented him with his blistering speed. He was prepared for a physical battle with Ibrahimovic but was not ready for one with the youngster.
Kurt Zouma - 5/10
After a last minute call up in the starting lineup, Zouma played a decent game and was better than the regular starters. It was him who should have been given the job of marking Marcus Rashford as the Frenchman has the ability to compete with any striker in the league for pace.
Victor Moses - 4/10
Moses could not be seen for the majority of his time on the pitch and had to be shifted from right to left wing as he could not keep up with Ashley Young. He was rightly substituted early in the second half.
Cesar Azpilicueta - 6/10
He was Chelsea's best defender on the night and did his job to perfection. Playing as a left wing back, he managed to stop United's dominance on his flank as the home side had a tough time getting past the Spaniard.
Nemanja Matic - 6.5/10
Though he managed to distribute quickly from the centre of the park, it was his defensive abilities which were missing. United rounded him off easily as more was expected from the seasoned midfielder in a game of this magnitude.
Ngolo Kante - 5/10
Kante was not given any opportunity to stamp his authority on the game as the potential player of the year had an off day on one of the biggest games of the season. He had a tough time winning the duels we normally associate him with.
Pedro - 6/10
The former Barcelona man was afforded acres of space by the United defenders as he looked the most threatening of the Chelsea players. His end product, however, failed him as the Spaniard had many half chances to change the complexion of the game.
Eden Hazard - 5/10
He kept trying and trying but could not escape Ander Herrera's man marking. Hazard has been immense for the Blues and has often talked about his previous manager in public but it was Mourinho who outwitted him and emerged the smarter one in their personal battle.
Diego Costa - 4/10
There were more chances of Costa receiving a red card than scoring in the game. He looked as if he was only there for the petty fights with United defenders and never looked useful for his side. Chelsea are better off without him.
Substitutions
Cesc Fabregas - 5.5/10
The ex-Gunner was introduced to offer some creativity from the centre as Fabregas tried to carve out chances for his teammates but failed because of the brilliant work done by the United defenders.
Willian - 5/10
The winger came on to bring some urgency to Chelsea's play in the second half but could not trouble the opposing fullbacks.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6/10
The youngster played for the last 10 minutes of the game and was looking like the one Chelsea player who was up for the task. He was eager to get involved during the game and did a good job in his short cameo.
