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Manchester United face their final test before the UEFA Europa League final when they take on Chelsea tonight.
The trip to Stamford Bridge is sure to be a challenging one, given the hosts’ push to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Of course, even when disregarding the top-five race, the fact that Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League already proves that Man United have a mountain to climb, given their struggles this season.
While resting key players ahead of Wednesday night’s final could be justified, United manager Ruben Amorim confirmed that he will field a strong starting XI tonight, explaining that five days is ample recovery time ahead of the all-important Europa League showdown against Tottenham Hotspur.
As a result, tonight’s game could very well be used as a dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s clash.
Shifting focus back to the match against Chelsea, the all-important question is, why are United seemingly unable to shake their poor form in the Premier League despite their Europa League success?
Last weekend’s 2-0 loss to West Ham was a tough pill to swallow, especially since the visitors were one of only a handful of teams to be performing worse than United in the entire league. In fact, the humiliating home loss saw United get leapfrogged by the Hammers, sending them down to 16th position.
But while it was a frustrating day at the office, the score did not tell the entire story.
Statistically, United were the dominant side, taking 20 shots to vastly outnumber West Ham’s nine attempts on goal.
While this is a sizeable number, further analysis shows that for the majority of the match, United were lethargic and did not put in an aggressive attacking display. Those who watched the match would know that apart from a strong opening few minutes, the lion’s share of United’s shots came after the 57th minute, when West Ham scored their second goal of the match.
Even if United managed to find a breakthrough, attempting to claw their way back from two goals down is a tall order.
In the 4-3 defeat to Brentford a week earlier, it was a similar story. Sure, United grabbed the opening goal, but they were largely outplayed by the hosts throughout the first half as well as the majority of the second half.
While Amorim’s men scored two late goals to narrow the score line, it was too little, too late. Yet again, United’s attack only woke up in the dying embers of the match, by which stage the game was long gone.
What’s more, it was another match where United were statistically superior, registering 14 shots to Brentford’s 12 and maintaining 53% possession.
United’s Europa League performances have been starkly different, despite taking place between these recent Premier League defeats.
In both semi-final legs, United played a highly attacking game against Athletic Club, countering hard and fast to decimate their opponents with a 7-1 win on aggregate.
This performance largely mirrored their quarter-final clash with Lyon, when United scored seven goals across the two fixtures as well.
When one asks why the club cannot replicate such performances in the Premier League, the answer proves to be clear yet painful.
It appears that Amorim has shifted his team’s entire focus to the Europa League, sacrificing their Premier League position as a consequence.
In recent weeks, United have dominated their opponents statistically, regularly taking more shots and camping in their final third. But while the United we see in the Europa League is determined, energetic, and steadfast in their quest for victory, the team we see in the league consistently lacks the urgency necessary to put games away. It’s for this reason that they’re consistently playing catch-up, and while they may score numerous late goals, these are coming at a time when defeat is almost inevitable.
Amorim needs to realise that tonight’s match isn’t only a dress rehearsal for the Europa League final but crucial in improving United’s position in the league.
Not only does a lower league position have negative financial implications, but it simply exhibits a negative outlook on United’s part, with the team focusing on competitions they can still win while appearing to lack any care or consideration for the league as well as the many thousands of dedicated fans spending their hard-earned money on tickets to come watch them play.
Tonight, the onus is on Amorim to shift his team’s attitude. United must view this match as important, not only to try to improve their league position but also to instil confidence in their nervous fanbase ahead of what will be the most crucial match of the season on Wednesday night.
Featured image Clive Brunskill via Getty Images
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