Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea: 5 Tactics from Solskjaer that won the game

#2 Trusting his new-look defense

Harry Maguire was outstanding for United

Last season, Solskjaer almost always opted for a defensive anchor in his team, a shield in front of a wobbly defense in order to shut out the goals. Unfortunately, it failed to work in the latter stages as United could not stop the leak at the back. This prompted Solskjaer to invest in the summer and spend around £130m on two defenders – Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire.

However, even with the two in his team, it would still have been understandable had the Norwegian opted for two defensive midfielders against Chelsea. Instead, he decided to be adventurous instead, playing Scott McTominay alongside Pogba in a double pivot that lacked the defensive solidity of Nemanja Matic. The Norwegian opted to trust his defenders and his trust was repaid in full.

The back four was impressive on the night and both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were on top form, with the Englishman looking like the defensive leader United have been missing for a while. Aaron Wan-Bissaka also caught the eye with his defensive display. Solskjaer’s risk paid off, helping United field an attacking lineup, which aided his tactics and helped United win the game.