Key stat shows Manchester United disgraced Chelsea

There’s nothing to put a thorough beating into perspective like some numbers to show how good a team has been against another team, and this particular stat shows how much Manchester United disgraced Chelsea. 

Manchester United and Chelsea have never been this far from each other in terms of quality, but with the Red Devils aiming for a place in the UEFA Champions League and the Blues fighting to enter the top half of the table, there was always the risk that this could be a blowout. 

Despite an impressive opening, Chelsea collapsed into a heap as Manchester United piled on the beating in a 4-1 mauling, thanks to goals from four different scorers. 

Chelsea’s interim manager Frank Lampard said the defending in the second half against Manchester United showed why he often sets his team up with five defenders, and the underlying stats in the match showed that even that is not enough to save the Blues’ poor defending. 

Despite both Manchester United and Chelsea having a similar amount of shots on goal, the gulf in the quality of shots between the two teams was staggering, as the Blues struggled to stop anything from getting past their weak defence. 

At the end of 90 minutes, Manchester United had accumulated 5.31xG, the most in the Red Devils’ history since data started being collected in 2014. 

Not even the 9-0 demolition of Southampton in 2021 had Manchester United accumulate that many expected goals, showing how shabby Chelsea’s defence was on the day, and how deadly the Red Devils’ attack was. 

With one more game until the end of the season, Chelsea will be glad to see the back of the 2022/23 campaign and will hope that next season comes with improved solidity at the back.