After a shaky performance away at Benfica on Wednesday night many thought Chelsea stood a chance against an unbeaten Manchester United side. With Ferdinand and Vidic still sidelined United were once again forced to field a young defence with Evans and Evra leading the line. Chelsea however were looking strong with great starts for new signings Mata and Meireles and were coming off the back of a strong midweek Champions League performance. Despite being a big game between arguably the two main title contenders Villas Boas stated that the match "was not key" in a jovial press conference. It was a cracking game between two sides at the top of their game and despite Chelsea having 19 attempts on De Gea's goal - which is no mean feat at Old Trafford - the blues only came away with the single goal. It was by far Chelsea's best performance at Old Trafford in seasons gone by however United despite only having 6 attempts on target finished there chances very clinically. In this post i will be focusing on United's early sucsess this season rather than Chelsea's demise.
It is clear that once again Sir Alex was smart in his summer signings as Young, De Gea and Phil Jones are all already looking like they have been playing at Old Trafford for years. By making his signings early in the window it allowed Sir Alex to mould his squad throughout pre-season and prepare for the start of the season. Youth has been key to Manchester United's great start with Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck both fitting straight back into the side after loan spells last season. With the addition of the youth Sir Alex has gained over the summer, United's squad certainly has strength in depth with plenty of attacking and defensive options at his disposal as well as a revitalised. But more than anything there has been one player who has been outstanding for United over the past eight months and almost the talisman of their recent success. Luis Nani is the man who has played a large part in their great star this season despite originally finding it hard to settle in when he joined. In his first 100 games he is equal on goals with Ronaldo after his first 100 United games yet has more than double Ronaldo's assists. He was a huge player for united last season scoring 10 goals and will be equally important this season as they face tough opposition for the title from the other side of Manchester. His efforts have certainly not gone unrecognised with Sir Alex saying "these are his best years".
So with united in easy mode at the top of the table, the question is can anyone challenge them for the title?
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Joe
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