Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag welcomed the win over Chelsea on Wednesday and said his team is moving in the right direction despite talks of the former champions suffering a crisis.
Two goals from Scott McTominay sealed the 2-1 victory against Chelsea. It marked the first time this season that Ten Hag’s side had beaten a team in the Premier League’s current top 10.
“Crisis? Not for us,” he said. “We keep calm. The team is in a good direction.
“It is not a frustration but we could have made our life easier [by scoring more]. We were very dynamic, proactive and brave and we are pleased with that.”
The manager also praised McTominay who could have scored a hat-trick.
“He has the smell for when to arrive,” said Ten Hag. “It is a matter of organisation. It is our job to make sure when he goes higher, other players play deeper. We have to make use of our players’ skills and attributes.”
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was not disappointed inhis teams performance because his players “gave everything.”
Pochettino said Chelsea had played well enough to get a draw but could not match the hosts’ energy and aggression.
“A few days ago we were talking about a fantastic performance and how we were going well,” he told reporters, referring to their win over Brighton on Sunday.
“Today because we didn’t get what we wanted here, we cannot change what we say now.”
Pochettino had predicted a tough outing at Old Trafford, saying it was not a good time to face Manchester United as they had a point to prove after losing at Newcastle United.
“I am not disappointed because the players gave everything, but maybe we didn’t match the energy. They were a little bit more aggressive than us,” he added.
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“But we were competitive because we made chances and maybe enough to draw the game. But when the result is 2-1 you get nothing. I think we need to be calm and keep going, trying to help the players to be ready for Sunday.”
Chelsea, who are 10th in the league with 19 points from 15 games, visit Everton on Sunday.