Man Utd 0-0 Chelsea: A transformation for the 'Red Devils'

Man Utd dominated Chelsea but it wasn't enough to end their eighth-game winless streak.

Martial's shot hit the post in the first half. Photo: Reuters.

The final Premier League match of 2015 saw glimpses of the former Manchester United giants. For 90 minutes, Man Utd forced Chelsea into a defensive posture with relentless attacks, and only bad luck prevented the ball from finding the back of the net. Mata and Martial hit the post, while Rooney and Herrera missed close-range chances.

Chelsea also had some great chances early in the second half, the most regrettable of which was Matic's missed opportunity when he only had De Gea in front of him.

A good performance against Chelsea isn't enough to guarantee Van Gaal's safety at the moment, but it certainly eases a lot of pressure on the Dutch manager. This is the eighth consecutive match that Man Utd have failed to win, and if they don't improve their results soon, the sacking notice will inevitably come to the 64-year-old strategist.

Man Utd remain in sixth place, nine points behind league leaders Arsenal. Meanwhile, Chelsea moved up slightly in the table to 14th place with 20 points.

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Before the match, merchandise featuring Jose Mourinho and Man Utd had already begun to be sold outside Old Trafford. This led many to speculate about the possibility of manager Van Gaal leaving if Man Utd suffered another poor result against Chelsea.

This didn't happen in the match where Van Gaal had Manchester United's strongest lineup at the time. The presence of the Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger duo completely neutralized Chelsea's midfield, cutting off communication between Hazard and the playmakers behind him. This pair is clearly the most important component of Van Gaal's philosophy, and it's no coincidence that Manchester United's performance declined precisely when Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger were sidelined.

Up front, Ander Herrera returned to his familiar attacking midfield position, and Martial replaced Memphis on the left wing, bringing dynamism to Man Utd's play. Martial had more space to make dribbles that troubled Ivanovic, while Herrera knew how to push forward and shoot from within the penalty area. This confidence in attacking from the flanks made Man Utd more dangerous than their slow passing game. Proof of this is that Man Utd created more chances against Chelsea than in all six previous matches combined.

However, the defense remains a concern for Man Utd. The central defensive pairing of Smalling and Blind left gaps that only De Gea's brilliance could fill. The Spanish goalkeeper made a spectacular save to deny Terry's header before diving to block two consecutive shots from Pedro and Azpilicueta.

Matic's incredible miss was Chelsea's best chance of the match. Photo: Reuters.

On the other side, manager Hiddink was unlucky to be without Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas when facing his compatriot. Without this pair, Chelsea lost control of the midfield and lacked precision in their final attacks. Poor finishing meant Chelsea missed opportunities to beat Man Utd with their rare counter-attacks.

What Chelsea needs to do right now is give Hiddink enough money to spend in January. The defense needs more reliable anchors because Terry has reached his limit and Cahill is inconsistent. In addition, a quality striker to compete with Diego Costa would also solve the deadlock in attack.

According to VNE