Victory for Manchester United against Chelsea at the Bridge on Wednesday night meant that the Red Devils have won three away(emphasis on away) games from three in all competitions. Something that would have been viewed as unfathomable after drawing against AZ and losing to Newcastle.
They handed Chelsea their first loss after seven successive wins in all competitions, ending that run and their hunt for Carabao Cup glory. Prior to the Chelsea fixture, their spirited performance against Liverpool must have done something to galvanise the team into form and the win against Chelsea is a sign that the club is gradually picking the form that saw them make a good start to the season.
However, it remains to be seen if this run of form is just a purple patch that will soon fade. At the moment though, there are key positives that United can build on from in the aftermath of their win against Chelsea.
Martial and Rashford hitting the right notes upfront
The duo of Anthony Martial and Marcos Rashford put Chelsea to the sword earlier this season when United trashed the Blues 4-0 earlier this season but since then they have not played much together.
Martial was sidelined for a while and his absence had significant consequences for the team as they struggled to create chances or score goals. It’s no surprise that United’s upturn in fortune coincides with his return to the team.
In the Red Devil’s last three away wins, Martial and Rashford have a combined amount of five goals scored out of six in total for United (Whoscored). Their cohesion is evident as they continue to form a strong partnership
McTominay remains a shining light
Scott McTominay is no Paul Pogba but he has done really well for United in the Frenchman’s absence. United have relied on the Scott this season and he has delivered with his performance against Chelsea being no different. On many occasions when United have looked a clueless side, the youngster has remained a shining light for positive performances and it’s only a matter of time before he becomes one of the most influential members in Solskaer’s squad.
Against Chelsea, the 22-year-old won almost every 50/50 challenge and bossed it in the middle of the park. His five tackles wonon the evening was the highest of any player on the pitch and was only matched by teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Whoscored). He has grown in stature with each game and is already looking indispensable for Solskjaer.
Friendly fixture list to look forward to (on paper)
On paper, United can further be positive their fixture list is looking very kind and a good number of points can be racked up if they play like they have done of late. The Red Devils go this weekend to face Bournemouth away and will hope to continue their impressive form even beyond beating the Cherries. Matches against Astana, Partizan, Aston Villa, Sheffield and Brighton (Skysports) are the winnable games before the heavy-weight games against Tottenham and Manchester City in December.
November may well be a promising month to remember and could see them climb the table from 7th potentially into the top four or at least closer to it.
