"Pitch invader had more of an impact on the game than him" - Fans slam Manchester United star after their loss to Chelsea

Manchester United fans online have lambasted Rasmus Hojlund after their 1-0 Premier League loss to Chelsea on Friday (May 16). Hojlund erred in scoring and was unproductive in front of the goal during the clash.

United thought they had opened the scoring through Harry Maguire in the 16th minute of the encounter. However, the goal was ruled out for offside by the VAR after a review.

At the cusp of half time, a tremendous shot from Cole Palmer was stopped by Andre Onana to keep the first half scoreline unchanged. In the 53rd minute, Mason Mount was denied a chance to score by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who made a remarkable save to keep the score 0-0.

Onana brought down Tyrique George (62’) in the penalty box. Following the VAR's intervention, the penalty decision was reversed, giving United players a sigh of relief.

In the 71st minute, a cross from Reece James found Marc Cucurella, who placed his header into the top-right corner of the net. Thus, the game ended 1-0 in favor of Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Hojlund maintained 65% (11/17) passing accuracy. He failed to register a shot or any key pass and won none out of six ground duels contested (via Sofascore).

After the encounter, fans on X ripped into Hojlund's horrific display, with one tweeting:

"That pitch invader had more of an impact on the game than Hojlund."

Expand Tweet

"Would much prefer going with Mount false 9 for the final. Hojlund has shown nothing," another added.

"Only 2 more games until we never see hojlund ever again," a fan opined.

"This version of Hojlund is the worst centre forward i've ever seen in my life. It's like someone's 14 year old is playing up front," another complained.

"Hojlund worst footballer to ever play for this club btw," another suggested.

"Hojlund really does have all the basics you need. Still only 22 years old and not filled out physically. Tall. Strong. Agile. People are maybe throwing him to the wolves too soon imo. This time next year he could main event Wrestlemania and I honestly believe that," another vented.

"He fights for every ball" - Manchester United head coach on Rasmus Hojlund's performance against Chelsea

Chelsea FC v Manchester United FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Ruben Amorim has opined that Hojlund fights for the ball on the pitch. However, the Manchester United head coach complained that the Danish player loses numerous duels.

In an interview after the loss to the Blues, Amorim said (via UtdDistrict on X):

"He fights for every ball, loses a lot of duels, wins some duels, he needs to improve the connection. He's improving, I'm really happy with him, he just needs to continue to work hard."

Expand Tweet

Manchester United are languishing in 16th place in the Premier League standings with 39 points from 37 games. Amorim's men will next battle Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on May 21.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Parag Jain