Ruben Amorim shown extent of Man Utd challenge he faces against Chelsea - 6 talking points
MAN UTD 1-1 CHELSEA: Moises Caicedo equalised just four minutes after Bruno Fernandes' opener to leave Manchester United frustrated in their first game since Ruben Amorim's appointment
Chelsea star Moises Caicedo scored a brilliant equaliser to leave Manchester United frustrated in their first game since Ruben Amorim's appointment as head coach.
Amorim will take charge of United ahead of the November international break, with Ruud van Nistelrooy remaining in interim charge until then. But the Red Devils struggled to match the attacking verve they had in Wednesday's win over Leicester.
In a game of few chances, United did take full advantage of Robert Sanchez's rash decision to close down Rasmus Hojlund, with the keeper taking the United star out. Captain Bruno Fernandes duly stepped up to send Sanchez the wrong way with his spot-kick and hand United the lead.
But that lead was to be short-lived, with Caicedo equalising within minutes with a well-taken volley. That was how the game ended, with neither side able to find a winner. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points from the game.
READ MORE: Roy Keane furiously slams Man Utd's players for getting Erik ten Hag sackedREAD MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson comes face-to-face with Sir Jim Ratcliffe for first time since Man Utd axeAmorim shown extent of his task
Ruben Amorim will start work as United's new head coach a week on Monday. The Portuguese boss will be left in no doubt over the work he has ahead of him when he does arrive at Old Trafford if he was watching Sunday's game.
United remain among the lowest scorers in the Premier League and they once again struggled to create clear-cut chances in their clash with the Blues. He will also be alarmed at how quickly Chelsea were able to hit back once they were stirred into action.
The hosts had only 47 percent of the possession and just four shots on target, with their best chance being Fernandes' penalty. Amorim will have to quickly find solutions in both attack and defence when he does take charge.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who was man of the match in Manchester United's clash with Chelsea? Comment below.
Hojlund fights back at frustrations
Rasmus Hojlund has emerged as United's main striker since his arrival in the summer of 2023. But it seems that Red Devils fans are growing frustrated with how far he remains from being a true top-level forward.
Twice he and Alejandro Garnacho were surging forward, but it broke down due to Hojlund's failure to play the ball into the Argentine quick enough. United fans could be heard loudly groaning and patience with the 21-year-old may be wearing thin.
But Hojlund fought back at those groans when he won the penalty from which Fernandes scored. The Dane took advantage of an error from Wesley Fofana, before showing a clever piece of thinking to draw a foul from Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea's big buys finally come good
Chelsea spent a combined £173million on Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, with the duo lining up alongside each other in midfield at Old Trafford. They both struggled to live up to their massive price tags in their debut campaign last year.
But it appears that they are now finally coming good, having impressed against United. They certainly won the midfield battle against United duo Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, who found it difficult to compete.
Lavia ended up with a pass completion of 87 percent and having won six of his defensive duels. Caicedo meanwhile scored the crucial equaliser with a well-taken volley from outside the box.
Onana issues continue
Andre Onana was one of sacked manager Erik ten Hag's premium buys of last summer. But the Cameroonian has struggled badly to live up to their heights expected of him since his arrival from Inter Milan.
And goalkeeper may well be a position new boss Ruben Amorim looks to address when he takes charge. Onana failed to impress his incoming manager in Sunday's game as he again looked nervy between the sticks.
He also continued to dump his team-mates into trouble with a number of ill-judged passes. Onana will have much work to do to gain the confidence of Amorim.
Chelsea's big six problem
Chelsea have worked themselves into the top four following a rocky start under Enzo Maresca. But a major problem is quickly emerging for the former Leicester manager.
The Blues have now faced three of the traditional big six in the Premier League and won none of those games. They were beaten by both Manchester City and Liverpool before Sunday's draw with United.
If Maresca is to lead the Blues to success, he will have to find a way to claim three points against the division's better sides. For now, Chelsea remain ahead of Arsenal and in the top four, but there is work to do for Maresca.
Van Nistelrooy's audition falls flat
Ruud van Nistelrooy is serving as United's interim manager until Ruben Amorim takes charge a week on Monday. The Dutchman will be hoping for a place on Amorim's coaching staff when the 39-year-old arrives at Old Trafford.
He started his interim reign with a big win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup. But United fell flat on Sunday as they struggled to create a chance of any real significance until Fernandes' goal.
Amorim will also not be likely to have been impressed with how quickly Chelsea were able to equalise. Van Nistelrooy's chances of staying on will have grown slimmer in the wake of Sunday's game.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.