Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea
As dream starts to the season go, this was it for Manchester United.
Largely second best for an hour, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ran out 4-0 winners over one of their arch rivals.
That they rode their luck will not bother the hosts one jot (although should not be ignored).
That they were thrashed 4-0 should be something Chelsea put into perspective.
Highlights of the game
The battle of the big beasts – the first ‘big’ clash of the new Premier League season – was one that caught the eye of SBOBET fans as soon as the fixtures for the 2019/2020 campaign were released.
Seemingly a transitional period for both clubs, whether by necessity or choice, both seem set to give young players more playing time this season.
And oh the irony of seeing new signing Harry Maguire line-up following his capture with a world-record fee for a defender, a year after Jose Mourinho’s plea for more reinforcements fell on deaf ears from under-fire club CEO Ed Woodward.
United went onto concede 54 league goals last season, their most ever in a Premier League campaign and most in a league season since 1978/79 (63).
Premier League news stats also tell us that United kept just seven clean sheets last season – only relegated Huddersfield Town and Fulham, with five apiece, fared worse.
While they looked more solid at the back today, this was still a first half in which Chelsea’s players often gave their opponents the run-around, hitting the woodwork twice as well as creating all sorts of danger.
Either side of Marcus Rashford calmly fired home a penalty, after being brought down by Kurt Zouma, the visitors were inches away from scoring.
First, Tammy Abraham, spearheading their new-look attack, flashed a 20-yard shot against the post of David de Gea – selected as captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Then full-back Emerson was unfortunate with a rising left-footed shot that beat De Gea but ricocheted off the crossbar and the goalkeeper also denied Pedro.
Chelsea looked more likely to scoring than United until two goals in as many minutes ended the game as a contest.
Anthony Martial, who fluidly switched with Rashford throughout the afternoon, took advantage of poor marking to fire in an Andreas Pereira delivery.
Then, immediately, Rashford classily controlled and converted a defence-splitting pass from Paul Pogba.
The Premier League betting odds on a home success suddenly looked a cert.
Pogba also supplied the decisive pass for substitute Daniel James to score with a deflected shot – the coup de grace for United and another example of how things weren’t going Chelsea’s way.
Not too much should be read into this result but, as starts go, a dream for United.
Key Statistics
There were just 95 seconds between the second and third goals.
Pogba has been directly involved in 18 Premier League goals since Solskjær took charge of United (10 goals, eight assists); the joint-most of all players in the competition alongside Sergio Agüero (also 18).
This was the first opening-day meeting between United and Chelsea since Jose Mourinho won his first Premier League match with the Blues in 2004.
United last hosted Chelsea on the opening day of a league campaign since 1958, when they won 5-2 courtesy of a Bobby Charlton hat-trick.
The Reds have triumphed in just three of their last 14 Premier League games against Chelsea (drawn six, lost five) but they are unbeaten in seven home matches (won three, drawn four).
Chelsea are the only club to have won more Premier League matches against United than they have lost, with 18 victories and 16 defeats.
United have won their opening match in five successive top-flight seasons for only the second time, and first since 1910.
The Red Devils have lost just one of the last 27 matches when opening a top-flight campaign at home (won 20, drawn six).
Lampard has suffered the heaviest defeat by a Chelsea manager in their first game in charge since Danny Blanchflower lost 7-2 at Middlesbrough in December 1978.
This was the first time, at the 12th attempt, Chelsea have been defeated when opening a Premier League season on a Sunday.
The last Chelsea manager to lose his first Premier League match in charge was Avram Grant, a 2-0 defeat at United in September 2007.
Chelsea were winless in all nine Premier League away fixtures last season at teams in the top half of the table, drawing three and losing six.
What’s next?
Chelsea welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge a week today. The following evening United travel to Wolves where they lost twice last season.
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