Senne Lammens kept a clean sheet away at Chelsea (Image: Getty)
Senne Lammens was full of praise for Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui after the duo stepped in at centre-back to help Manchester United keep a clean sheet against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez were both absent due to suspensions, while Leny Yoro was ruled out at the last minute through injury.
Michael Carrick revealed he only discovered United would field a makeshift defensive line against Chelsea “throughout the day” on Friday. Heaven made his first start under Carrick while Mazraoui featured as a centre-back in a United back four for the very first time, yet both players shone at Stamford Bridge, prompting United’s interim manager to declare: “They were fantastic.” Speaking post-match, Lammens said of the pair: “I mean, in general, it’s not always the easiest.
“I think at the start of the season, we also had it a couple times where players came in and came out, especially at centre-back. It’s a position where you need a little bit of confidence, where you need a little bit of, like, getting used to it.
“So it’s difficult when, you know, players are out of the team for sometimes a couple of months, or a couple of games, and you have to come in. I mean, of course, I have the biggest, biggest trust in them because you see it every day in training, and it’s also the biggest change for me as well.
“If you see in this club, everyone in the squad is able to play and able to perform at that level. So you know, when their moment is there, they have to be ready for it. They did it today. They did a very good job. I think it didn’t really feel like there was a lot of change, to be honest. So I can’t praise them enough as well.”
When quizzed on their strengths, the goalkeeper responded: “I think just, like, not trying anything too difficult, sometimes you come in and you maybe want to show yourself too much, especially for young guys, it’s not easy.
Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven shone at centre-back (Image: Getty)
“I think they both did a good job, and, of course, Nous, playing centre-back when he’s normally a right-back, which is not always the easiest, but I think today, we couldn’t tell he wasn’t a centre-back his whole life, so… playing together as well, helping each other out, and also the team helping them out.
“It was a hard-fought team win. Everyone performed, especially those two guys [Mazraoui and Heaven], who I have to praise a lot.”
United’s triumph at Stamford Bridge opened up a 10-point gap between themselves and Chelsea, and it also represented a significant boost for Carrick following a 2-1 defeat to Leeds earlier in the week. “He’s very demanding, of course, but he also knows that in the Premier League, in the way we are, you can win and lose some games,” said Lammens, reflecting on Carrick’s reaction to the Leeds defeat.
“It’s always the most important thing is how you react to it. I think last week against Leeds, we were not good enough, especially at home, but we also knew that today was a very good chance for us to take those points and take a very good step into the Champions League.
“It’s kind of a very good, important opportunity for us to take it and to like turn it around a little bit, but we also know there’s no, no single threats or like no, how you say it… Yeah, we also know we believe in ourselves.
“And sometimes it’s difficult to think about the first couple of games when we had the winning streak, and that feeling when that comes back, and we want that feeling back. So that’s also what he was speaking to us about to get that feeling back and to start a run. And I think today was a very special one.”
Lammens savoured the full-time festivities with the travelling supporters. “We’ve had it a couple times this season, away against very good teams as well. Arsenal, here, other places as well, you know,” he added.
“At home it’s special, but it’s also always very special away, and you can feel the support of the supporters, especially in the first half when you’re playing in front of them, but also in the end, just the feeling with them and the way we can celebrate with them as well, coming here, and I mean, we had to fight for it. It wasn’t the prettiest, but that sometimes the most beautiful thing.”
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