Manchester United and Chelsea play out bore draw to expose limitations of both managers

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire challenges Cesar Azpilicueta (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire challenges Cesar Azpilicueta (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United and Chelsea played out a bore goalless draw in the rain at Old Trafford on Saturday evening as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard cancelled each other out and exposed each other’s limitations.

In a game low on incident or moments of quality, the best opportunity fell to Marcus Rashford but the United striker could not beat goalkeeper Edouard Mendy when put through one-on-one during the first half.

Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty when Harry Maguire manhandled Cesar Azpilicueta on a corner but neither referee Martin Atkinson or Stuart Attwell, the VAR, was moved.

Lampard will be pleased to have kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford given Chelsea's long-established defensive issues but adopting a more conservative style neutered their expensively-assembled attack.

Solskjaer, meanwhile, was once again left to reflect on a United performance which delivered few clear-cut opportunities from open play and struggled to break down an half-organised defence.

After the highs of the victory in Paris in midweek, this was the fifth successive Premier League match at Old Trafford that United have failed to win, which is a new club record.

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