Manchester United struggled to share the points against Chelsea on Saturday. The match ended tied at 1-1. Despite dominating for much of the match at Stamford Bridge, the Red Devils did not score until the 93rd minute.
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho buried a penalty for the Blues in the second half after Scott McTominay brought down Armando Broja inside the box. Although the local team seemed sure of winning, Casemiro had other plans. The former Real Madrid midfielder headed in the third minute of added time in the match.
Chelsea 1-1 Man United
After the thrilling comeback, Man United manager Erik ten Hag was proud of his men. “I have to pay my team a huge compliment,” ten Hag told the BBC. “To fight back with a fourth game in 10 days, you see the spirit and how they deal with setbacks. Really good.”
The coach, however, was also frustrated by the lack of firepower in front of goal. “First half Rashford had two great chances, Antony one on one. You have to score goals in those moments because in the best games three chances are huge,” ten Hag proclaimed. “You have to score.”
However, the Dutch coach thought the tie was fair. “I think it’s a fair result,” said the coach. “I would have been disappointed if we had missed out on a point because we didn’t deserve it. At the end of a difficult week to come here, you bring the point home.”
Perhaps the main concern for United and ten Hag was the injury to Rafael Varane. The French international was forced to retire after sustaining an apparent lower leg injury in the 60th minute. Varane was noticeably upset and was seen crying as he walked into the tunnel.
Many speculated that the defender believed his World Cup hopes were in jeopardy due to the injury. The manager, however, claimed that he was too early to tell. “It’s hard to say how he’s doing now because it’s such a short time after the game,” ten Hag said. “We have to wait 24 hours and then we will know what it is.”
The World Cup begins for France and Varane on November 22 against Australia.
