- Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0
- Reds pair came in for praise from Michael Carrick
- The United coach called them “incredible”
Michael Carrick was full of praise for Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven following Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The pair started together in central defence for the first time and kept the hosts at bay.
Heaven came into the starting lineup after Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire were ruled out through suspension. Leny Yoro was also unavailable due to an injury although the club are optimistic the French defender won’t be sidelined for a significant period.
United weren’t at their best but got the job done through resolout defending particularly from Mazraoui and Heaven. Whether it be defending set pieces or closing down the likes of Liam Delap and Enzo Fernandez, the pair performed excellently on the night.
Carrick on ‘incredible’ Heaven and Mazraoui
Carrick was thrilled with the response from his players after a dissapointing 2-1 loss to Leeds United on Monday. But he had special praise for his two defenders, whom he couldn’t be more pleased with, given the difficult circumstances that led to them starting together tonight.
The United head coach told TNT Sports:
“I can’t play that one down that was massive. That was a big win for us. They obviously had some opportunities but to keep a clean sheet like we did and defend as we did.”
He added:
“I thought Ayden and Nous coming in were incredible really. Ayden such a young age and Nous not really playing centre-back in a back four. There was a lot of work and I have to give credit to the coaching staff on getting the boys ready for that.”
Heaven made his first start since Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January and didn’t put a foot wrong. He came in for massive praise from fans who feel he is probably the most exciting defensive prospect at the club.
Mazraoui put a shaky display against Leeds behind him with a superb outing at Stamford Bridge that showed his experience. He was strong in the air and dominant against the physical Liam Delap.
Carrick on ‘Hungry’ Bruno Fernandes
United’s winner came through a brilliant strike from Matheus Cunha courtesy of, you guessed it, another Bruno Fernandes assist. He now sits on 19 assists in 31 league appearances.
Fernandes is two shy of the all-time assist record in a single Premier League campaign held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Manchester City hero Kevin De Bruyne. But the performance from the Reds’ skipper was so important, and he won the Man of the Match award.
Carrick was asked whether he is eager for his captain to get the record:
“I suppose you deserve it when you get it really, it’s one of them. But of course his impact has been immense for a long period of time, from the first time I was there. In big moments and big games he’s there. He plays most games, stays fit, he’s hungry.”
Fernandes deserves all the praise for yet another stellar season and Carrick also applauded his leadership qualities. He said that the Portuguese playmaker “leads by example,” and hopefully he’ll be leading the Red Devils back into Champions League football next season.
