Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has urged his team to stop making life "complicated" after their much-needed 2-1 victory against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday. Amorim, who has been under pressure early in the season, acknowledged that the win was massive for him.
The match was an eventful one, with an early sending off for Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez inside five minutes after he fouled Bryan Mbeumo. Bruno Fernandes marked his 200th Premier League appearance with his 100th goal for United, and Casemiro extended the lead, putting the hosts in control. However, Casemiro's sending-off just before halftime, after collecting a second booking, made for a nervy second half. Trevoh Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea late in the game, but United dug deep to secure the 2-1 win.
"It was really important," Amorim said of the result. "I think we deserved it, but we complicated our lives every time". He noted the team started the game "really well – really well in terms of the aggression and to push the opponent and to show that we were there, even to bring our fans with us". He admitted the sending off of the goalkeeper helped a lot, putting them in control and allowing them to score two goals. "And with everything going well, we (made things) complicated with that sending-off". Amorim felt the team managed the second half well, but the last 15 minutes were tough, forcing them to suffer together before managing to win.
Amorim expressed pride in the way United dug deep to secure just their second win of the season, but insisted that there is little chance of resting on his laurels. United failed to win back-to-back Premier League games last season, and Amorim has challenged his side to do so away to Brentford next weekend. "Sometimes we have some moments that we feel an urgency to have a result," Amorim said. "This team has shown many times that we have that urgency".
He further stated, "Today we won. It's nice to win, but let's forget that and return to that urgency. We need to win the next game. That is the most important thing". Amorim emphasized that in a big club, there should not be a feeling of relaxation after a good game. "So, let's return that urgency, we need to win the next one and that is the most important feeling we have to take for the next week". He told Sky Sports that United started the game really well and were aggressive. He joked that the team always likes to complicate their game but it was a good day. He felt the urgency and said the sending off helped, but they had to be more clinical to finish the game sooner.
Amorim also commented on Bruno Fernandes scoring his 100th goal for United, praising his spirit and leadership as captain. When asked about proving critics wrong, Amorim said it wasn't about that, acknowledging that people don't often have good things to say about the team and their results. He understands the criticism and jokes about it, but emphasized that the win was a good thing for them. He also acknowledged the fans' support in the second half, which pushed the team forward.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp described the win against Chelsea as the "biggest win" of Amorim's reign at the club. The victory lifted Manchester United from 14th in the Premier League table into the top half, just one point behind Chelsea.
