Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw in Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford in the Premier League.

It was an entertaining end-to-end affair for interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second game in charge, with no shortage of opportunities for both sides, and ultimately the teams could not be separated.

Our captain Bruno Fernandes struck first, from the spot in the 70th minute, after Robert Sanchez tripped Rasmus Hojlund up in the box.

There wasn’t too long to celebrate, however, as Moises Caicedo dragged Chelsea back into the game with a powerful first-time strike from the edge of the box.

With plenty of work to be done at both ends of the pitch, there were a number of strong candidates for the award, but who got your vote? Keep scrolling to find out…

You voted Noussair Mazraoui as your Man of the Match, with the Morocco international topping the poll on 37 per cent of the vote.

It comes as little surprise, given the open nature of the contest, with the full-back operating efficiently at both ends of the pitch throughout the 90 minutes.

Those watching on from inside Old Trafford and beyond will have seen the former Ajax defender’s strong influence on the game, but the stats paint just as positive a story.

He completed the most dribbles (five), made the most tackles (four) and won the most duels (13) of any player on the pitch, showing true impact at both ends.

Hot on Mazraoui’s heels for the honour was Fernandes (29 per cent) who, of course, netted our only goal of the game, sending Sanchez the wrong way from the spot as he coolly dispatched the finish into the opposite corner.

Aside from his goal, our captain was also a creative spark throughout the game, registering the most chances created (four) by any single player for either of the sides, as part of an all-round solid display in the middle of the park.

Fellow midfielder Casemiro (nine per cent) and winger Alejandro Garnacho (six per cent) also took notable slices of the vote, but Mazraoui and Fernandes were some distance ahead of the pack for their efforts.

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The award is Mazraoui’s first Man of the Match gong since his arrival this summer from Bayern Munich — an apt recognition of the strong start he’s made to his United career.

Thank you to everyone who voted. Congratulations, Nous!

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Ruud van Nistelrooy couldn’t fault Manchester United’s performance against Chelsea, even though we had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Bruno Fernandes’s 70th-minute penalty sent the Theatre of Dreams – and our interim head coach – wild, after Rasmus Hojlund had been fouled by Robert Sanchez.

A win over the ascendant Blues would have been the perfect tonic to end a challenging week, but it wasn’t to be, as Moises Caicedo struck four minutes later with a well-taken volley to ensure Enzo Maresca’s side returned to London with a point.

Ruud named several players he felt competed particularly well against the Blues, as he shifted his focus towards the visit of PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday, in his interviews with the broadcasters…

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LADS GAVE IT THEIR ALL

“I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t take the win, to be honest. I think we had the better of the chances in the game. Garna was close three times, Marcus hit the post with a great attack and Bruno in the last couple of minutes where he had the shot, when it bounced off one of the Chelsea defenders. Overall I think the performance of the players was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch and in the end, of course, we settled for a draw.”

PENALTY A SPECIAL MOMENT

“It was a great moment, when you hear Old Trafford explode. Bruno did well taking it and then the emotions come out. It’s special, I enjoyed every second of it and I will do so for the time being. I’m here to help, after that even more and I will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows. Yeah, I was happy for the team and for the club and the fans. It’s similar [to being a player].”

PLENTY OF GOOD PERFORMANCES

“I think today what you saw, against a very good Chelsea side we competed very good. I think we had the better chances, I felt slightly disappointed we didn’t take the three points. This is the way forward for this group of players and I saw some great performances today, I saw some excellent performances. I have to say from the back, Lisandro and Matthijs did a great job. I think Nous Mazraoui had an excellent game and Casemiro is doing a great job. Bruno took the responsibility; he was involved in all the attacks. I don’t think anyone really missed out today.”

TOP TEAM SPIRIT

“I think the players take a lot of responsibility. They also know they needed to change and I tried to help them, get them focused on their jobs and get the best out of them and motivate them to become the best they can. I can do that for two more games. It’s a good group of players, a good group of people and I think what you saw today was a team with spirit that left everything they had on the pitch. You saw the connection there with the fans that then occurs and that’s what we’re looking for. I can’t wait to build on that for Thursday.”

THE WINS ARE GOING TO COME

“Against Leicester we finished our chances, we had some luck. Sometimes you need some luck, but it’s taking the chances, keeping up the spirit and the fight in the team to not give so much away, like today, and then we’re going to start winning games.”

IMPORTANCE OF NEXT GAMES

“We are behind the new manager and everybody at the club is first of all focusing of course on the two games that are coming [PAOK and Leicester]. They are very important and we have to continue on the Leicester performance and the Chelsea performance. After that, we get behind him and work hard to make Manchester United better every day.”

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Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford, in an entertaining and end-to-end Premier League clash.

The Blues arrived for the second of four matches Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of before handing the reins over to our new permanent head coach, Ruben Amorim, whose arrival we announced earlier this week.

In the Dutchman’s first game he secured a 5-2 victory against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, and he maintained his unbeaten record in the dugout despite having to share the spoils with the west Londoners on this occasion.

We were still in stalemate at the interval, but went ahead via a penalty from Bruno Fernandes, after Robert Sanchez had fouled Rasmus Hojlund.

The game felt destined to end even though and Moises Caicedo’s volley four minutes later, after United had only half cleared a corner, pegged us back.

FIRST HALF – NOTHING TO SEPARATE

The Reds started with the same intensity that van Nistelrooy enjoyed against the Foxes, pressing the Blues high and giving their defenders plenty to think about in the early moments.

Enzo Maresca’s side proved they had plenty of attacking threat of their own, however, before 10 minutes had elapsed in the game.

Caicedo seized the ball inside United’s half and immediately offloaded it to Cole Palmer, who was entering the box. Matthijs de Ligt stood strong to see it behind for a corner, but it was an early reminder of the tough test ahead.

That chance gave the visitors a foothold in the game and Noni Madueke almost broke the deadlock, nodding a Palmer corner on to the post from the front of a crowded six-yard box.

There was more danger in front of our goal when Andre Onana played a short pass to Casemiro with three blue shirts closing in on the defender, but thankfully crisis was averted.

It seemed to shake the Reds up slightly as, in the blink of an eye, Bruno Fernandes was at the other end, whipping a ball in from the right, towards the head of Hojlund — but it was neatly intercepted at the last second by Sanchez.

Marcus Rashford then tried his luck from the opposite flank shortly afterwards, neutralising Malo Gusto with a piece of skill that left the full-back bewildered, but Sanchez managed to get in the way again when our no.10 tried to flash it across goal, and Fernandes put the rebound over.

Late action followed at both ends, first from a close-range Fernandes free-kick which was met by the wall, before the Blues had two midfield runs stopped by Ugarte and Dalot, and we waved goodbye to the opening 45 minutes with a first-time hit by Rashford at the far post that clipped the bar as the referee’s whistle sounded.

Both teams had created chances but, in truth, neither had a strong claim to deserving the lead at the interval.

SECOND HALF – SHARING THE SPOILS

The second half started with a similar energy to the first. There was no shortage of intensity or creativity, but neither side had a solid grip on the game.

A microcosm of that was captured in the 55th minute with the ball left bouncing between the two sides near the halfway line. Chelsea were first to get it under control, switching it to Pedro Neto on the opposite side, who flashed an effort inches wide of Onana’s post, delivering another warning to the Reds that any lapse can be punished.

Rashford, who had been United’s most promising outlet for much of the first hour, made a similar point at the other end minutes later, first sweeping an unanswered ball across the Blues’ penalty area, before letting off a shot of his own from the edge of the box following the resulting corner — gratefully clutched by Sanchez.

United had another break in the 65th minute, this time Fernandes advancing down the right, before cutting back to an unmarked Alejandro Garnacho in the middle. The Argentinian, unfortunately, couldn’t get his feet sorted in time and his effort fell straight to the Chelsea keeper.

Five minutes later, Casemiro lifted a pass over the Chelsea defence that was expertly controlled by Hojlund, drawing the attention of Sanchez, who ultimately tripped the Dane in the box.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and our captain wrong-footed the goalkeeper, rolling the ball into the opposite side of the net to which Sanchez had dived.

It had been an end-to-end game throughout, and the scoresheet came to reflect that, as just four minutes after Bruno had broken the deadlock, Caicedo levelled the game with a first-time hit off the back of a corner, his shot just evading the grasp of Onana.

Despite Chelsea looking to end the game stronger, efforts from Garnacho and Fernandes will have sent shivers through the Chelsea contingent in Old Trafford, but both went sailing over the bar.

In the end, a point each will likely feel like a fair result in both camps, with no hero popping up to secure all three.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Onana; Dalot, De Ligt, Martinez, Mazraoui; Ugarte (Lindelof 84), Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes (c), Rashford (Amad 73); Hojlund (Zirkzee 84).

Subs not used: Bayindir, Evans, Amass, J.Fletcher, Fitzgerald, Wheatley.

Goals: Fernandes 70 (pen).

Booked: Ugarte, Dalot, Rashford, Casemiro, Martinez, Amad.

Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto (Cucurella 46), Colwill, Fofana, James (c); Caicedo, Lavia (Fernandez 70); Madueke (Mudryk 70), Palmer, Neto; Jackson.

Subs not used: Jorgensen, Badiashile, Tosin, Veiga, Felix, Nkunku.

Goals: Caicedo 74.

Booked: Gusto, Jackson.

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Manchester United maintained an unbeaten start to the 2024/25 season following a 1-1 draw against Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal at Leigh Sports Village.

The deadlock was broken for Arsenal by Alessia Russo with just over an hour played, but a big United push to avoid defeat saw Melvine Malard score off the bench against the Gunners at LSV for the second year running inside the final 10 minutes.

It was a day of milestones for the Reds, with Millie Turner making her 150th appearance for the club and Marc Skinner managing his 100th game – each was presented a commemorative shirt by United sporting director Dan Ashworth at pitch-side before kick-off. There was also a club record crowd for a United Women fixture at Leigh Sports Village, with 8,348 in attendance.

FIRST HALF

United made a bright start with some early crosses into the box. Ella Toone also registered a low shot on target that was gathered by Daphne van Domselaar in the Arsenal goal. But the visitors responded with their own spell of pressure soon after and Russo twice narrowly missed the target with powerful strikes, the second deflected over by an excellent Turner block.

Turner also knocked away a Steph Catley header just in front of the goal-line as Arsenal threatened from a corner. But United dug in defensively to weather the storm and it was a more even finish to the opening 45 as both goalkeepers were called into action before the break.

Elisabeth Terland was well placed to meet Celin Bizet’s cross for a header that was well held by Van Domselaar, but it served to raise the volume inside LSV. At the other end, Phallon Tullis-Joyce grasped the ball as it popped up off Caitlin Foord as she arrived onto an in-swinging delivery towards the far post.

SECOND HALF

Both managers made substitutions at half-time looking into fashion an advantage, with Simi Awujo replacing Lisa Naalsund in red and Beth Mead brought on in an attacking reshuffle for Arsenal.

Tullis-Joyce was equal to a close-range Russo header as the Gunners quickly created the first chance after the restart. Our no.91 soon dived to her left as Lia Walti’s strike clipped the outside of the post.

Skinner went for a further double change after an hour as Malard, who made her WSL debut in this fixture last season, and Jayde Riviere entered the fray. But Arsenal were then suddenly ahead when Russo broke free in the box and was there to finish Emily Fox’s cut-back from the right.

Geyse made her return from a recent injury alongside Rachel Williams in a final roll of the dice as the Reds searched for an equaliser. And it was those subs, along with another, who got United back level.

The former’s driving run down the right flank won the Reds a corner, with Williams rising highest in the box to meet the subsequent delivery. Malard was then in the right place at the right time to divert the ball beyond Van Domselaar in a crowded six-yard box to make Leigh Sports Village erupt. Both sides made final pushes for a winning goal during a tense six minutes of added time, with Malard coming up big defensively to deflect a Walti drive over the bar with the last kick of the game. In the end it was a point each.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Tullis-Joyce; Mannion (Riviere 61), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George; Naalsund (Awujo 46), Janssen; Bizet (Williams 77), Toone (Malard 61), Clinton; Terland (Geyse 77).

Unused substitutes: Middleton-Patel, Ladd, Miyazawa, Watson.

Goal: Malard 82.

Booked: Turner 57.

Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Walti, Little (c) (Cooney-Cross 87); Caldentey (Kafaji 87), Maanum (Mead 46), Foord (Hurtig 87); Russo (Blackstenius 78).

Unused substitutes: Zinsberger, Codina, Reid, Kuhl.

Goal: Russo 63.

Booked: Little 10, McCabe 87.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy has selected his Manchester United side to take on Chelsea in today’s 16:30 GMT kick-off.

It’s the Dutchman’s first Premier League game as interim head coach, following on from Wednesday night’s 5-2 success over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup.

The Reds’ line-up includes three changes from that win against the Foxes, as Andre Onana returns in goal.

The Cameroon international was rested in midweek, with Altay Bayindir playing in his stead, but Onana maintains his 100 per cent top-flight appearance record for the Reds today.

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Noussair Mazraoui is in for Victor Lindelof in defence, which suggests that Lisandro Martinez will play centrally after filling in at left-back against Steve Cooper’s side.

Rasmus Hojlund comes into the side in place of Joshua Zirkzee and will lead the line.

Today’s visitors have completely changed their team, after Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle, as Enzo Maresca continues to separate his squad for league and cup games.

TODAY’S TEAMS

United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Casemiro; Rashford, Fernandes (c), Garnacho; Hojlund.

Substitutes: Bayindir, Lindelof, Evans, Amass, J. Fletcher, Fitzgerald, Zirkzee, Amad, Wheatley.

Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Colwill, Fofana, James (c); Caicedo, Lavia; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.

Substitutes: Jorgensen, Badiashile, Tosin, Cucurella, Veiga, Fernandez, Felix, Mudryk, Nkunku.

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Diogo Dalot believes Manchester United and our new head coach Ruben Amorim will form ‘a perfect match’.

Although the full-back has not worked with his compatriot before, he’s heard plenty of positive things from his peers in the Portugal team who are more familiar with the Sporting boss.

Amorim has won two top-flight titles with the Lions and, since his appointment in March 2020, the Lisbon club boast the highest winning percentage of any club in Europe’s top 10 leagues.

Dalot hopes that the impact the 39-year-old has had at the Estadio Jose Alvalade can transfer to Manchester and boost our quest to return to the pinnacle of English and European football.

“Personally I don’t know him,” Dalot told the Premier League.

“What I know is from what I see, from what I get from my national team team-mates. He’s obviously a fantastic coach, with a young mentality, but at the same time he knows what he wants.

“He’s very demanding – that’s what I can expect and I think that’s the perfect match for a club like this.

“The standards are really high. He is a person that you can see has really high standards and he stands by them, so I hope that can be a really good match and that we can win together.

“That’s what I hope the most.”

If Amorim can make half the impression Jose Mourinho did in England, he will be a resounding success and our new boss spent time learning from his predecessor at Carrington in 2018.

For such a small country, Portugal has real coaching pedigree at top-flight level, even beyond the obvious achievements of Mourinho with Porto, Chelsea and Internazionale, among others.

Fulham and Nottingham Forest are currently punching above their weight under the stewardships of Marco Silva and Nuno Espirito Santo, and Dalot believes Amorim can continue that trend.

“Yes, I think the Premier League really suits obviously people from Portugal,” Diogo added.

“We have this culture of constantly trying to prove ourselves and trying to fight for a place because we come from a small country.

“It’s been all over the years, Portuguese managers and players coming to the Premier League and coming to England and being successful.

“So I really hope it’s one more case and I’m really excited to start working with him.”

Amorim also has past managerial experience with Casa Pia and Braga, to whom Sporting paid a significant fee to release him from his contract in 2020.

Dalot appreciates United is another step entirely as Amorim leaves his homeland for the first time in his coaching career, but highlights that everyone will be pulling in the same direction to aid our new appointment in his mission.

“It’s obviously different. He comes from a big club in Portugal. I will say that he almost quadruples the amount of exposure, the intensity, the pressure [here], but in Sporting he was more than able to deal with it.

“We are here obviously and we’re going to be a team. Players, staff, managers, board, directors: we’re going to be a team.

“We have to work with each other, I’m sure we will help him in some way and he will help us back.”

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Garnacho makes a vow to supporters

Alejandro Garnacho believes his game is all about being daring and direct, as he looks to help Manchester United climb the Premier League table.

Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea at Old Trafford, the Academy graduate was asked by United Review, our official matchday programme, what it feels like to perform on such a stage, in front of the Reds supporters.

Quickly adapting to the Theatre of Dreams, even during his days in the Under-18s, the Argentina winger accepts that he is looking to continually improve after reaching the landmark of 100 senior games for the club in the defeat to West Ham United.

“I have always been this type of player,” he told United Review. “To be daring, to always try and try again and, if it doesn’t work, try again and never give up. That’s just who I am as a footballer and, in the future, I want to continue to reach my potential.

“I always try to do the best I can. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t, but I always try to do the best for the team. Sometimes, it’s best to dribble. Other times, it’s best to cross. It depends on the situation but I always try to contribute the best I can and say, at the end of the game, that I have done everything possible.”

Garnacho’s self confidence is such an important asset for any winger, tasked with the responsibility of taking on opponents and making things happen.

“As a kid, I have always been this type of person,” he explained. “Not just as a player but as a person. I have never been scared of anything and never get nervous – even if I play well or badly. So this is another point in my favour when playing, so yeah, I have always been like this.

“The only time I got a little bit nervous was when I entered the field of play for the FA Youth Cup final. The stadium was completely full and it was the first time I had experienced this. But, after that point, I’ve not felt that pressure again and I love playing at home with our fans.” 

Garnacho believes his luck will change in front of goal, and he will be looking to breach the visiting defence during the visit of Enzo Maresca’s Blues on Sunday.

“That’s what I like about who I am as a player,” he added. “I always try to create opportunities, in one way or another. Sometimes you score, sometimes it is bad luck, sometimes it’s a bad finish but the important thing is I am still young and I am going to improve and, over the years, things will come off.”

Read the big interview with Alejandro Garnacho in full in Sunday’s United Review, the official matchday programme.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy has reiterated that his focus is on doing his best to help the club in his current capacity as interim head coach.

The former United striker is in temporary charge until Ruben Amorim takes over the reins on 11 November, following the departure of Erik ten Hag.

Ruud was in the dugout for Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup and has been preparing the Reds for Sunday’s tough Premier League assignment against Chelsea (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Speaking ahead of the Blues’ visit to M16, Van Nistelrooy fielded questions from the media at Carrington and, in the second part of the briefing, was asked about his future, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and former United players who are now pundits.

Scroll down to have a read, and watch, what he had to say below…

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Ruud, I know you’ve said the immediate job is you’re looking at this and then you’re going to go back to your contract as assistant. Long term, what’s the career plan for you? Would you want to be a manager again at some stage in the future?
“That’s a good question actually. Obviously, I think this would be the only job I would take as an assistant because of everything I’ve just explained. And for two years, for me it was important to get a feel of how it was going over the course of two years and, after that, to make a decision. Is this something that is fulfilling for me in my job? I have to say, for the moment, I really enjoyed the role. I really did.”  

As an assistant?
“As an assistant.”  

Just because it’s here rather than an assistant?
“Obviously, the decision to make for Man United was a big one and that’s why I’m in this role and I can commit myself to the role as assistant manager. I did it with great pride and I really enjoyed it and I will enjoy it again after this. After two years, I have to see how things go.”

In that respect, all the players now will have a three-game early shop window to prove to the incoming manager that they should be part of his first-team thinking or his first-XI thinking. Does that go for you as well in some respects? You too are almost in the shop window to say: ‘Look, every manager brings in their backroom team, stick with me, the one that you’ve got.’ I know you’ve got a contract, but we’ve seen that things can change…
“Obviously, it can change. We all know that. But we’ll see. I’m not thinking in that way, I’m not here to prove myself in that way. I’m here to help. I’m here to do the best I can. The club is the most important one and do the best we can to get a result on Sunday. That’s my focus. All the other things are not in my mind.”  

Can I ask you about Manuel Ugarte? Can you explain why you think the club signed him and why he maybe hasn’t had that many chances yet this season? Also, with your history, has he got the ego to succeed at Manchester United where the pressure is so big?
“I’m convinced about Manuel that he will be a great player for United. I think yesterday he had a very good performance, against Fenerbahce he had a good performance. Getting players in an early conclusion, players that are here for two or three months, you should be careful with that I think. It’s a great signing, very good player, professional, he has very specific qualities in midfield, gets in between players, can recover a lot of balls for us to get us in attacking positions. Also, on the ball, very decent so I think he will be a very good player for this club.”  

People are putting two and two together because he played with Amorim, but is he someone you and Erik specifically targeted and wanted here anyway?
“The recruitment is not part of the assistant manager, but I can comment on working with Manuel on a daily basis. He’s adjusting, he wants to adjust, he wants to be part of this club, do well and he’s very motivated to do so. He’s getting better every time, the performance yesterday was good and he can build on that. We are very thin in midfield, the coming games, we’re going to definitely need him and I think he’ll do well in the coming games.”

You weren’t a bad striker yourself, what do you think about Joshua Zirkzee at the moment? What do you think his strengths are and what do you think are the areas he needs to improve in?
“Josh is similar to Manuel Ugarte’s situation. Josh came in, he’s a young player with a lot of potential. He’s a typical number nine in the sense of his hold-up play is very good, he’s very strong in the combination play, he’s a different type than Rasmus. Rasmus is more of a nine that plays higher up on the pitch, getting in the back of defenders and Josh is more the one coming to the ball and getting the team playing. The Crystal Palace game, he was excellent, it was one of his best performances and showed his potential. Another one with a lot of talent. A good age, a lot of potential to develop, look after, give him time, he will get better and better and better, and I think also will be a very good player for this club.”  

You probably know better than anyone else in this room from your time here that the noise around United is deafening at the best of times, let alone when they’re changing managers et cetera. Also, you have the issue that in the media, you have many high-profile players that you’ve played with: Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves. All these guys have an opinion on the club and sometimes that’s a painful opinion. As a manager coming into this club, do you think that’s fair they should be under that scrutiny from ex-players that have been successful? Secondly, are you prepared for those guys that you played with to give you a kicking on Sunday if you lose to Chelsea?
“We all do our jobs, don’t we? I think, basically, they care for the club and want the club to do well and they’re disappointed as well that it doesn’t go well with the club. I think it’s absolutely fine and I don’t take it personal. When I see them, I have a cup of coffee with them and I don’t have any problems with that. I appreciate them as former colleagues, some of them I’m still in touch with and that’s the path they choose. Others stay in football more on the football side, so for me it’s absolutely fine.”  

If they were to turn their attentions to you on Sunday, would that be a problem?
“In the end, you’re going to be judged and I think yesterday was good, very positive, we got positive critics and everybody’s positive. In football, things can change, things can continue, I don’t believe the hype that much, I don’t believe the drama that much, I know it’s the world we live in. For me, it’s important to stay calm, stay focused, do my job on a daily basis. I think that also has to be the case for this club, we’re not going to turn it around from today to tomorrow, but we’re going to get it done, and I believe in that over the longer future.”

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