Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, in what was their 18th defeat in what has been a Premier League season to forget.
Marc Cucurella’s second-half header from Reece James’ cross was enough to secure all three points for the hosts, subsequently bolstering their Champions League ambitions.
Harry Maguire thought he had put Ruben Amorim’s men ahead early on, but his fine finish was ruled out after being adjudged to have been in a slight offside position.
The defeat isn’t the end of the world for the Red Devils, with full focus on next week’s Europa League final, coming through the meeting with no new injury concerns.
However, the manager will likely be disappointed by the performances of multiple first-team starters in West London, putting their starting roles at risk for the European final.
Man Utd’s poor performers against Chelsea
Defender Luke Shaw has been injured for the majority of the campaign, but boss Amorim handed him a start from the off, looking to stake his claim for a place in his plans next season.
However, the 29-year-old struggled to make a positive impact at the Bridge, failing to win a single tackle, whilst losing possession four times – ultimately looking like a shadow of his former self.
He wasn’t alone in failing to impress, with striker Rasmus Hojlund once again unable to deliver the goods in attacking areas, registering a measly tally of just 26 touches during his 90-minute display.
He also lost possession a staggering 13 times, losing every ground duel he entered and failed to register an effort on goal – with Amorim desperately needing to offload the Danish international this summer.
The pair ultimately weren’t at a level good enough to hand the manager a reason to start the Europa League final, with another player needing to be dropped for the crunch clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
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The Europa League final hands United a chance to end what has been a dismal campaign on a high, securing another trophy and a place in the Champions League for 2025/26.
Amorim will have the opportunity to land his first title after his appointment at Old Trafford back in November, potentially being a key step in his tenure at the club.
However, if they are to win such a meeting against fellow Premier League opposition, they will need to be at the top of their game – something which they haven’t been for many months.
The manager will likely have numerous selection headaches ahead of the meeting in Bilbao, but Noussair Mazraoui should be one player who’s not included in the starting eleven after his display against Chelsea.
The Moroccan international operated in a right-wing-back role against Maresca’s men and struggled to have the desired impact at both ends of the pitch. While he’s often demonstrated he’s one of Erik ten Hag’s best signings this term, notably ranking second in the club’s Player of the Season rankings, his form has fallen off, perhaps due to fatigue.
He featured for the entirety of the contest on Friday, only completing 77% of the passes he attempted, whilst being unable to complete any dribbles and unable to aid players in the final third.
However, out of possession, he was just as poor, often being unable to prevent winger Noni Madueke from gliding past him into attacking areas.
Minutes played
90
Touches
68
Passes completed
33/43 (77%)
Dribbles completed
0
Aerial duels won
2/4 (50%)
Possession lost
13x
Crosses completed
0
Mazraoui only made one block, and won just 50% of the aerial duels he entered, struggling to match the high standards he set for himself in the early stages of the season.
As a result of his showing, the full-back was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by GOAL journalist Richard Martin – highlighting his lack of impact during the defeat.
It’s evident that he’s not the player to operate at wing-back, undoubtedly being more comfortable in a centre-back role, with the manager needing to drop him for the final next week.
Such a showing will hand the manager a decision to make in wide areas, but unfortunately for the former Bayern Munich ace, it was an evening to forget and one that could put his place in the side at risk.
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