Manchester United thrashed Sabah FK 4-0 in their Champions League opener at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Michael Carrick will be delighted to finally see his team keep a clean sheet.
The performance of certain players will also have pleased him ahead of the all-important Manchester derby at the weekend.
The derby was clearly on the head coach’s mind when he named the team, as he chose to rest the likes of Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.
Youri Tielemans’ growing importance highlighted
His substitutions also sent a clear message, with Youri Tielemans withdrawn at half-time with Carrick choosing to wrap him up in cotton wool ahead of Sunday’s contest.
The Belgian struggled against Hull City in the opener, but slowly, with more and more minutes under his belt, he has started hitting his stride.
| Goals | 0 |
|---|---|
| Assists | 1 |
| Expected assists (xA) | 0.39 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 0 (0) |
| Accurate passes | 46/47 (98%) |
| Passes in opposition half (acc.) | 28/28 (100%) |
| Passes in own half (acc.) | 18/19 (95%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 2/2 (100%) |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Shots blocked | 0 |
| Touches | 52 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 1 (0) |
| Possession lost | 2 |
| Total carrying distance | 72.3 m |
| Carries | 14 |
| Total progression | 4.1 m |
| Def. contributions | 2 |
| Tackles (won) | 0 (0) |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Clearances | 0 |
| Blocked shots | 1 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Ground duels (won) | 1 (0) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 2 (2) |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
match stats from sofascore
He is currently among the first names on the team sheet and for good reason.
The former Aston Villa man picked up an assist, while he created two chances and one big chance. Two of his passes ended up being key passes.
He bossed the midfield in the first 45 minutes
Youri Tielemans misplaced just a single pass in the first half, ending his 45-minute stint with a passing accuracy of 98%.
Such was his accuracy level that both his crosses found their mark. The Belgium international was equally effective off the ball, as he won both his aerial duels.
He also completed one interception, recovered the ball three times, while also blocking one effort on goal (all stats via sofascore).
The summer signing has turned out to be a very important cog in United’s engine room, and Carrick will need him in top form if his side are to emerge triumphant against the Cityzens.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
