That defences would come out on top in Saturday’s clash between Manchester United and Chelsea seemed somewhat unfathomable given how both teams have started the season, and how vulnerable they have been at the back, but in a sense the goalless draw said a lot about where these two sides are at this moment in time.
Frank Lampard had expressed a quiet satisfaction with Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at home to Sevilla in the Champions League just a few days beforehand, underlining the importance of his side showing some defensive resolution. That should have offered a preview of what Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford would hold for the Blues.
Chelsea threatened at points, but there was a sense throughout that Lampard would be content with a steady, conservative performance just as he was against Sevilla. Back-to-back clean sheets suggests the Blues boss has started to get a handle on the defensive frailties which saw Chelsea ship nine goals in their opening six Premier League fixtures.
United have experienced similar defensive woes, with the heavy home defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur a damning indictment on the lack of progress Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made in addressing deficiencies at the back. Goals were subsequently expected as Chelsea visited Old Trafford. That they didn’t arrive revealed a lot.
😲 It's the first time since 1972 that Manchester United have failed to win any of their opening three home league games, and they now find themselves 15th in the table on seven points.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) October 24, 2020
🔴 Edinson Cavani came close to scoring with his first touch on debut but apart from that...
From early on, it became clear this would be a contest dictated by fear. Defeat would have seen either manager face difficult questions over their stewardship of their respective teams. Lampard and Solskjaer both landed jobs through their association as players to their clubs and both have still to prove they are truly cut out for such a high level.
As attacking outfits, there are better in the Premier League at this moment in time than Chelsea and Manchester United. Presented with the right circumstances, they are capable of out-scoring any opponent, particularly in the case of United who claimed a 2-1 away win over Paris Saint-Germain only earlier in the week.
But the right circumstances cannot always be counted on. This is where both Lampard and Solskjaer have still to prove they are the right candidates to take Chelsea and Manchester United where they want to go. Saturday’s match might not have harmed the two managers, but by the same token it didn’t do much for their cause either.
It’s not that Chelsea and United are incapable of defending well, it’s that they have yet to demonstrate they can couple that with an effective attacking display. When they score goals, they concede goals. When they don’t concede goals, they don’t score goals. The complete performance has so far evaded both Chelsea and Manchester United this season.
Lampard’s argument is that Chelsea will get closer to a complete performance as their six summer signings settle in, but the Blues struggled in many of the same ways last season. Chelsea’s troubles can be traced back to before the summer transfer window. It cannot be attributed purely to the number of new players that have arrived at Stamford Bridge.
In Solskjaer’s case, United’s lack of consistency is most concerning. Against PSG, the Norwegian devised a system to keep the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar quiet while giving Marcus Rashford the platform to score a late winner. It would be argued this was a complete performance, but such displays are a rarity from the Red Devils.
Saturday’s match won’t live long in the memory, certainly in a Premier League season where whirlwind contests have become the norm. Despite the lack of goals, though, plenty was revealed. The 0-0 scoreline was an illustration of the insecurity currently felt by both teams, and by both managers.
