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A Premier League debut off the bench for summer arrival Edinson Cavani was arguably the most notable highlight from a fairly uneventful draw between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Uruguayan striker, who joined United on a free transfer over the summer, almost scored with his first touch after coming on with half an hour to go. But both sides effectively cancelled each other out in the pouring rain in Manchester.
A sluggish first half that saw the visitors dominate possession came to life in the latter stages, with Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy forced into a few smart saves to deny Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata.
At the other end, David de Gea was less busy, but was perhaps lucky not to be facing a penalty after Harry Maguire’s clumsy challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta in the box was contentiously deemed fair by the referee.
The home side put in a better showing in the second half but failed to really trouble Chelsea’s defence. The visitors were also unable to create any opportunities of note at the other end.
A spectacular diving save from Mendy kept out Rashford in injury time, and this was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock, as the points were eventually shared.
Despite keeping their first clean sheet of the season, United's draw against Chelsea means that they are now winless in five league games at Old Trafford. This is their worst run since February 1990, and doesn't bode well ahead of RB Leipzig’s visit to Manchester in midweek.
In the other camp, Chelsea played out their second successive 0-0 draw ahead of a midweek trip to Russia to take on Krasnodar in the Champions League on Wednesday.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the hits and flops from United and Chelsea’s goalless draw at Old Trafford.
#1 Hit: Edouard Mendy
One of the major causes of concern for Chelsea over the course of last season and for parts of this has been their precarious goalkeeper situation, which has led to them being extremely vulnerable at the back of late.
With Kepa Arrizabalaga woefully out of form and Willy Caballero not a viable long-term option, Frank Lampard brought in Edouard Mendy from Rennes late in the transfer window in an attempt to fix his side’s issues at the back.
Although it is early days yet, Mendy’s arrival seems to have brought some much-needed calmness to the Chelsea backline. It is no coincidence that the Blues have kept three clean sheets in the four appearances the Senegalese international has made for the club.
Mendy extended his record of not yet conceding a goal in the Premier League with a series of fine stops during the course of this match to keep United at bay.
Having made a nervous start to the match by almost mis-kicking a pass into his own net, Mendy made a string of smart saves to close out the first half. He then denied Marcus Rashford with a spectacular diving save in extra time in the second half.
The 28-year-old seems to have established himself as Frank Lampard’s first-choice option between the sticks already, and will hope to have many more impressive performances like this one in his Chelsea career.
#2 Flop: Timo Werner
One of several high-profile arrivals at Stamford Bridge over the summer, Timo Werner took a few games to get used to the English game.
After opening his Chelsea account in the Carabao Cup, the German striker notched up his first goals in the Premier League for the Blues with a brace against Southampton last weekend.
As such, Werner was expected to continue his scoring run against a United defence that was suspect at the start of this season, especially at home.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Werner ploughed a lone furrow up front as he was well marshalled by a combination of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire.
United’s central defensive duo was successful in snuffing out any chances that might have fallen Werner’s way, prompting the German's substitution with just under twenty minutes to go following a largely anonymous showing.
#3 Hit: Victor Lindelof
Manchester United’s defence has come under fire for their shaky performances at the start of this season, and Victor Lindelof has received a fair share of criticism for his part in his side’s disappointing showings as well.
However, after putting in an encouraging shift against Newcastle last weekend, the Swede was excellent against PSG in midweek. He continued the upswing in form with a polished performance against Chelsea.
Up against the potent threat of Timo Werner, he formed an effective shield in combination with Harry Maguire in the heart of the Manchester United defence and barely put a foot wrong all evening.
Some excellent positional play that saw him make a few vital interceptions was backed up by confident forays forward, as he brought the ball up from the back to set off a United attack on more than one occasion.
With the first clean sheet of the season under his belt, Lindelof and his defensive colleagues are sure to look ahead towards their upcoming fixtures with renewed confidence.
#4 Flop: Daniel James
Having come off the bench to score on his Manchester United debut in this fixture last season, Daniel James had fond memories of playing Chelsea at Old Trafford.
However, more than a year on from that game, the young Welshman’s United career has not progressed as he would have hoped.
Seemingly offering little more than his express pace, James’ lack of end product in the final third has been a source of frustration for United fans. Furthermore, James has been given a decent run of games in the starting lineup but has been unable to stake a claim for more regular game time. Such was the case against Chelsea, and he was taken off before the hour mark.
Going by his recent performances, it is only a matter of time before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer starts making alternate plans. We might see James used as more of an impact sub instead of a bona fide starter henceforth.
#5 Hit: Fred
One of Manchester United’s most improved players since his debut for the club, Fred has really grown in stature of late to emerge as one of United’s top midfielders.
The Brazilian’s partnership with Scott McTominay was crucial to United’s good run of form pre-lockdown last season, and it is the same duo that seem to be adding some much-needed stability to the side this campaign as well.
Fred’s high-energy displays see him cover a lot of ground. as he goes around making important interception. This, coupled with his usually accurate passing, has made his presence in the middle of the park vital for United.
The diminutive midfielder put in a typically robust performance against Chelsea as well, giving the likes of Kai Havertz no rest. He chased every loose ball and threw himself into tackle after tackle with a gusto that has helped him gain favour with the United faithful.
