A game which showed two sides of Paul Pogba as Chelsea deny Man United victory

However, the hosts grabbed a last-gasp equaliser when Barkley turned in the rebound from David De Gea’s save to deny Rudiger a second.

Here’s three takeaways from the encounter.

A GAME OF TWO POGBAS

Chelsea were the favourites ahead of this encounter and for the first half, were the better side, but not by much. A sloppy piece of defending was the difference between the teams, allowing the hosts to take a 1-0 lead into the break. The culprit was a familiar polarising figure, one who would’ve played the role of scapegoat yet again had that moment proven to be United’s demise.

Paul Pogba was visibly frustrated with himself as he switched off from a corner and allowed Rudiger to have a clean run towards the six-yard box from where he powered home a header unimpeded by any red shirts.

It was a lapse in concentration from an individual that no manager can account for and brought Chelsea their first goal from 52 corners this season. That moment seemed to summarise Pogba’s half, one during which he repeatedly lost possession, often resulting from needless attempts at something elaborate when the simple would have sufficed.

Whatever was said to him at half-time though seemed to work because he emerged from it a different player, the one United fans would hope to see more of. He went up a level – or a few – and assumed control in midfield.

There weren’t any goals, assists or defence-splitting passes from the Frenchman to point to as hard evidence but in a closely contested game, his clever touches, close control, holding up of the ball and linking passes facilitated a good spell for his side during which they were able to put Chelsea under pressure with a few breakaways and gain the advantage.

CHELSEA DEFENCE

There’s so much to admire of Sarri-ball. The intricate passing, movement off the ball and speed of play in the final third is mesmerising. However, for all their attributes going forward, there remains some glaring deficiencies at the back.

Teams don’t often get the chance to apply genuine pressure on Chelsea but every time one does, cracks begin to appear. It took a while for United to really threaten the Blues. It was only in the second half that there seemed to be a heightened sense of urgency. They ran harder, attacked the spaces more aggressively and suddenly, Sarri’s side were unsettled.

What’s worrisome is it didn’t take brilliant pieces of play or spectacular efforts to break their resistance. It was just a matter of getting numbers into the attacking third and being clinical. It’s not the first time Chelsea’s defence was made to look ordinary.

During their 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Bridge in August, the Gunners repeatedly got in behind them only to waste several glorious opportunities. Even West Ham were guilty of fluffing their lines in a 0-0 draw at the London Stadium last month.

Their defending needs to be addressed and fast if they are to seriously challenge for the title this season.

FRINGE PLAYERS DELIVER

It’s not often that Mourinho has put faith in both Martial and Juan Mata from the start in matches against top six opposition. He did so on this occasion and both impressed, after possibly earning their spots with their performances against Newcastle United.

The Frenchman has been a frustrating player for United, blessed with superb potential but rarely has that come to the fore. He was clinical in this fixture though, taking both chances with aplomb. It also means Martial has scored more goals than any other United player since his debut in September 2015.

Mata’s inclusion was a more intriguing one as the Spaniard was deployed in behind Romelu Lukaku. He was invariably involved in every United attack, including both goals and also did a good job containing Jorginho without possession.

Meanwhile, Barkley has been in competition with Mateo Kovacic for a starting berth with both midfielders enjoying good moments this season. A goal from the England international right at the death to salvage a point won’t have done his case any harm.