Manchester United player ratings: De Gea saves Van Gaal’s blushes despite dominant display

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Manchester United were held to a goalless draw by Chelsea on Monday night, and despite enjoying plenty of possession, David De Gea emerged as the hero for the hosts.

Louis van Gaal’s side produced a much improved performance as they looked to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions, but it wasn’t enough to find a way through a stubborn Chelsea defensive line.

While several players impressed, it was De Gea who made the most decisive contribution. Find out how the Spaniard and his teammates fared in our player assessment:

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David De Gea – 7

Made a crucial double save in the second half to ensure that his side didn’t fall behind, and ultimately kept his focus brilliantly on a quiet evening in general to prove his class.

Ashley Young – 7

Energetic performance from the right-back which included countless runs down the right as well as a crucial intervention on Eden Hazard to show his defensive capabilities.

Chris Smalling – 6

Relatively quiet game for the England international, but stepped up well when in possession to set United on their way as they dominated for large periods.

Daley Blind – 7

Poor distribution from set-pieces, but aside from that the Dutchman was relatively comfortable overall even though he wasn’t particularly tested.

Matteo Darmian – 6

Returned from injury and produced a solid performance until he was replaced after 70 minutes. A boost for Van Gaal to see the Italian international back in action.

Morgan Schneiderlin – 6

A decent display from the combative midfielder as he added some steel in midfield and gave United the platform to go out and try to win the game.

Bastian Schweinsteiger – 6

A competent performance from the German international on his return after a three-match suspension, but could have done more from an offensive point of view.

Juan Mata – 6

The Spaniard was unlucky not to break the deadlock within minutes of the start of the game as he saw his stunning effort hit the crossbar. Was dangerous with his movement between the lines but threat faded and was replaced.

Ander Herrera – 6

Similar to Mata in that the pair started the game well and continued to pop up in dangerous positions to ensure United were a more of a threat going forward while his runs to support Rooney were crucial.

Anthony Martial – 7

A constant problem for Branislav Ivanovic with his pace and dribbling, and was unlucky not to score with an effort that hit the post. Perhaps should have done more to take advantage of the Serbian’s weaknesses, but was a bright spark.

Wayne Rooney – 7

Much better night at the office for the England captain as he continued to lead the line as the lone striker and showed his influence on the team. Should have done better with a late chance, but certainly a big boost for United to see him in good form.

Substitutes

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson – 6

Impressive impact from the youngster after replacing Darmian, and will earn more opportunities in the future.

Memphis Depay – 5

The Dutchman didn’t have much of an influence on proceedings after his introduction.

Phil Jones – 5

Brought on too late in the game to have any say in the result.

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More Stories Ander Herrera Anthony Martial Ashley Young Bastian Schweinsteiger Cameron Borthwick-Jackson Chris Smalling Daley Blind David de Gea Juan Mata Matteo Darmian Memphis Depay morgan schneiderlin Phil Jones Wayne Rooney