Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea: 3 Blues who let the side down in defeat

The first half witnessed one of Chelsea's weakest performances of the season, leading to a relentless assault on Robert Sanchez's goal. Just six minutes in, United was reward a penalty for an Enzo Fernández stamp on Antony’s foot. Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot after VAR instructed him to consult the pitchside monitor. Despite Bruno Fernandes having his penalty saved by Robert Sánchez and Alejandro Garnacho missing the follow-up, it served as a lifeline for the Blues.

Suddenly, Mykhailo Mudryk executed a clever pass into Cole Palmer who dribbles the ball outside the box, patiently awaiting a gap. The attacking midfielder delicately placed the ball into the opposite corner from 18 yards, scoring his first CFC goal from open play and leveling the scores before halftime, and somewhat against the run of play.

The game seemed to settle at the start of the second period, but the home side began to dominate, capitalizing once again through McTominay. The Scottish international headed in at the back post in the 69th minute, beating Colwill despite a VAR review. The Blues looked to try and salvage a point but it was too little, too late.

Here are three Blues who didn’t meet expectations:

Enzo Fernandez

A rather mediocre performance from start to finish: Fernandez didn't resemble his usual self and appeared quite uncomfortable in the midfield action. His partner in the pivot, Moises Caicedo, also had a subpar game, but Fernandez performed slightly worse. His passes didn't connect, he missed a chance to score, and he even gave away a penalty in the opening seven minutes of the match. A disasterclass.

Levi Colwill

Once again starting at left-back, Colwill struggled to handle Antony on his side and was even at fault for McTominay’s winner. The captain, at least for the opening 45 minutes, was easily beaten at the far post by a delivered ball. After a brief VAR review, it was determined that Colwill was just too weak and threw himself to the floor. Poor.

Nicolas Jackson

Oh 'Nics' Jackson we all miss your preseason form. It's as if the striker has forgotten how to play the sport at times. In preseason and even against Liverpool on opening day, we witnessed glimpses of Jackson's potential, how effortlessly he glides past opponents with his speed, dribbling, and strength. He was also smart, knowing when to shoot. However, now we see a completely new signing that can't link up, nor does he know when to take the shot or a touch. There was an instance in the first half where the Senegalese took far too many touches in a clear goal-scoring chance and just ruined it.