Alejandro Garnacho must do more to impress Ruben Almorim: Winners and losers as Man Utd forward again fails to fire as Moises Caicedo’s revival continues at Chelsea

Garnacho set up the winning goal for Scott McTominay in last season’s home fixture against Chelsea and scored twice at Stamford Bridge, but nothing went right for him today. The forward had four chances and only came close with one of them, his 89th-minute shot from just inside the area which crept just over the bar. And in each half he had a chance which he should have buried in the net but instead passed the ball into Robert Sanchez’s hands.

The Argentina international had been one of the biggest culprits in the defeat at West Ham but he appeared unaffected about his recent profligacy when interviewed in the club programme ahead of Chelsea’s visit. “I have always been this type of player. To be daring, to always try and try again and, if it doesn’t work, try again and never give up,” he said. “I always try to do the best I can. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t, but I always try to do the best for the team.”

Sooner or later, though, he needs to start scoring, not least because he has a new manager to impress. Garnacho is one of the most talented players the Portuguese will get to work with, capable of unbelievable moments of skill like his bicycle kick against Everton and rising to the biggest occasions as in the FA Cup final. Yet recently he has looked incapable of scoring even the easiest of chances.

It will be up to Amorim to restore Garnacho’s confidence and prevent the youngster from becoming the latest of United’s array of talented attackers to lose their nerve.

There will be plenty of focus on the chances United missed and Van Nistelrooy was disappointed that they could not put them away. But the coach deserves credit for how organised the team looked – for a change – against a top opponent. This season, Liverpool and Tottenham have ripped their way through United’s defence at Old Trafford with very little resistance and Chelsea must have felt confident of doing the same.

Van Nistelrooy, however, had a carefully thought-out plan, lining up with a 4-2-3-1 shape which meant his side were never outnumbered in midfield, even with Caicedo bossing Ugarte. It wasn’t just picking two holding midfielders that made the difference, though. It was the players’ willingness to track back and support each other.

One Tottenham analyst, according to The Times, had remarked after the 3-0 battering in September that the problem with United under Erik ten Hag was that their players love to run forward but they don’t like to run back. That was not the case with Van Nistelrooy on the bench. The interim coach closed the massive gaps that would frequently appear under his predecessor’s watch and even when when his side lost the ball, they worked hard to get it back.

United might have been craving a galvanising win under one of their favourite former players but they at least avoided another heavy defeat, which is no small victory.

Chelsea have made huge strides under Maresca but they still have the same weak link as last season: their goalkeeper. Sanchez has swelled his number of clangers from the last campaign, making a feeble attempt to keep out Mateo Kovacic’s strike in August and being at fault for both of Brighton’s goals in Chelsea’s 4-2 win last month.

Even on a day when he had faced very few dangerous attempts, the Spaniard managed to add to his collection by giving away the penalty, snatching at Rasmus Hojlund’s ankle when the Dane tried to dribble around him. Caicedo’s wonder goal meant that he will escape further scrutiny but once more it felt like he had let the team down.

Maresca said after the game that he was “in love with this squad” but he could be forgiven for falling out of love with Sanchez.

With Ten Hag now gone, you have to fear for the contingent he coached at Ajax and brought with him to Old Trafford. But if they keep their form from today up, then Noussair Mazraoui and Matthjis de Ligt should be fine under Amorim.

Mazraoui could be a contender for one of the wing-back roles in Amorim’s renowned 3-4-3 shape and even though he played in a back-four, he showcased his ability to perform the role by performing equally well in both halves of the pitch. His former Ajax and Bayern Munich team-mate De Ligt also impressed, after some inconsistent displays in his first two months with the club.

De Ligt stood his ground superbly on two occasions in the first half when up against Chelsea dangerman Cole Palmer, successfully blocking both shots. He also ensured centre-forward Nicolas Jackson had a quiet afternoon, and it was no coincidence that Chelsea’s only goal came from an unlikely source in Caicedo.

Palmer scored four times against United last season so his lacklustre display here was as surprising as it was disappointing. Not only did he fail to get on the scoresheet or get an assist, he barely made his mark on the game. And on one occasion he passed the ball straight out of play.

Palmer grew up supporting the Red Devils even though he joined Manchester City’s academy, and he has turned into one of the Premier League’s biggest stars since moving from his home city to the capital. He should have been the headline act against a United side in transition, but he barely made a murmur.