The dominoes on Manchester United’s defensive plans at Stamford Bridge began to fall on Wednesday. That’s when United received that confirmation Harry Maguire would serve a one-game ban for an FA misconduct charge.
Next came news of United’s unsuccessful appeal against Lisandro Martinez’s red card against Leeds. Finally, unexpectedly, Leny Yoro was ruled out of the trip to Chelsea through injury. United tried to work through his misfortune to get him fit for the match but ultimately, the young Frenchman was condemned to the treatment room, meaning a late scramble for Michael Carrick to figure out his back line.
“Short notice,” explained Carrick in the Stamford Bridge press room as he reflected on the work his team had done to prepare for life with an unfamiliar defensive setup. “Through the day yesterday. The boys took it on so well.”
The boys in question are Noussair Mazraoui, who deputised as a right-sided centre-half, and Ayden Heaven, the 19-year-old who, not too long ago, would have been classed as an actual boy.
Heaven is, instead, an imposing figure at 6ft 2in (1.89m) and he plays with the maturity of a much older man. As a child, he was on trial at Chelsea for 12 weeks, at one stage even walking out for a Champions League game with a flag for the club. Against them a decade on, in difficult circumstances, he excelled.
Early on, he slid in for a tackle on Liam Delap in the area that he had to get right — and did. He won a similar challenge with Delap after 33 minutes, hurtling on to a loose touch by the Chelsea striker. These were well-calculated expressions of his determination to halt attacks.
In between, he was perhaps lucky Cole Palmer was outside the box so VAR did not intervene on a tackle Chelsea appealed for a penalty. But he saw that fortune reverse when referee Michael Oliver blew for a free kick for the merest touch on Palmer. That was his only blemish, finishing with four blocks and four headed clearances, replicating the type of performance that earned him the player-of-the-match award the last time he completed 90 minutes in a back four. That came against Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
Ayden Heaven, right, gets a robust congratulation from Joshua Zirkzee at full-time (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
This was only his ninth start of the campaign, his last coming at Burnley, under Darren Fletcher, on January 7. But his return was smooth and he had moments on the ball that bode well for future. At one stage, he dribbled out down the left side of the pitch before being fouled by Delap. Later, Heaven kept his composure at the back, twisting around Palmer to find Senne Lammens who, under a bit of pressure, went short to Kobbie Mainoo, who bounced back to Heaven. This time, Heaven went long to Benjamin Sesko and although Wesley Fofana won the ball, it fell to Matheus Cunha and United broke four on four. Chelsea eventually cleared Bruno Fernandes’ cross.
Although United only had one shot on target — Cunha’s goal — they did have several counter opportunities which could have made their victory more comfortable had they used them better.
After the game, Carrick said: “Ayden, credit to him. He’s a young player, not played a lot of football recently. To come into that environment, it’s not something we can take for granted. In terms of training every day and looking after yourself, he probably wouldn’t have thought it would come but he took it in his stride really well.”
Mazraoui was next to Heaven, with Carrick choosing to maintain balance by combining a right-footer with a left-footer. It also meant Luke Shaw could keep his favoured role at left-back and Diogo Dalot his at right-back. Some work was done at Carrington with Shaw as centre-back but Carrick decided to limit the number of players changing positions.
In the end, it was just one, with Mazraoui shifting inside from his usual right-back role. The Moroccan had played in a central defensive role under Ruben Amorim but that was, of course, as part of a back three.
The one previous occasion in his career he had played centre-back in a back four came for Bayern Munich against third-tier Preussen Munster in September 2023. Bayern eased to a 4-0 win. Mazraoui can claim responsibility for another clean sheet too, heading Fofana’s effort at goal onto the bar. Liam Rosenior appealed for handball against Mazraoui but replays showed it was Fofana’s hand. Mazraoui also put in his head where it might hurt as Marc Cucurella totally committed to a bicycle kick. Mazraoui’s arm was up but he turned his back just in time.
To develop an understanding between Mazraoui and Heaven, Carrick said that preparation took place more classroom than pitch.
“It was more meetings, clips, discussions,” he said. “The other side, we tell them to go play. We trust them to give their best. (The discussions were a) little bit of extra protection, as a team. Things we needed to stop with extra effort.” He referenced Chelsea’s midfield progressions, which, at times, came close to hurting United.
Noussair Mazraoui challenges an airborne Marc Cucurella (Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
To avoid that, Lammens declined to pass the ball short. At one point, just before the half-time whistle, Carrick told Lammens to go long, with assistant Steve Holland out of his seat to insist on the same.
“We can play better but it was a game for a result,” Carrick said. On that theme, after Cunha’s goal, Carrick tapped his head as the celebrations went on, imploring his players to focus.
Fernandes strengthened his case for player of the year awards with his performance, which was punctuated by clever touches of all kinds in addition to his standout assist.
It puts United on the brink of the Champions League places, 10 points ahead of Chelsea in sixth with five games to go. Carrick’s joy at the final whistle, and undisguised satisfaction in post-match media, hinted at how his future is aligned to reaching Europe’s elite competition.
Maguire will be back for the trip to Brentford on April 27 but Martinez will miss that game plus the home game against Liverpool on May 3. United will not have been amused that Dango Ouattara evaded a red card for pulling Calvin Bassey’s hair in Fulham’s game at Brentford earlier on Saturday, with Paul Tierney once again the referee as he was for Martinez. This time, Tierney was not sent to the screen by VAR.
Yoro might also be fit by the time Brentford visit Old Trafford.
Mainoo managed to return after missing Leeds through injury by working hard in training. He did brilliantly, always looking to pass forwards and taking the ball in tight spaces. “That was the best Kobbie has played since I’ve been back here,” Carrick said.
As United’s players applauded the away fans who had been loud all night, Casemiro picked up Mainoo with a bear hug in a sign of recognition. United’s makeshift centre-back partnership deserved one too.