Published 20:20 IST, October 22nd 2020
Man United fans want Axel Tuanzebe to start ahead of captain Harry Maguire vs Chelsea
Man United fans have voted in favour of Axel Tuanzebe retaining his place in the team against Chelsea this weekend following his impressive outing against PSG.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Man United recorded an impressive 2-1 win over PSG in their opening Champions League Group H game on Tuesday night. A late goal from Marcus Rashford earned the Premier League giants a crucial three points after Anthony Martial's own goal cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' first-half penalty. However, it was Axel Tuanebe who received plenty of praise and plaudits from the United faithful following his impressive display in United's backline.
The 22-year-old centre-back made his first appearance for United this year due to Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly both being absent through injury. Tuanzebe was asked to try and nullify PSG's star-studded attack consisting of Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Neymar and proceeded to do so with serious authority.
In fact, so impressive was his display against last season's UCL finalists that United fans have voted resoundingly in favour of Axel Tuanzebe retaining his place in the starting line-up against Chelsea this weekend, ahead of the world's most expensive defender, Harry Maguire.
Premier League news: Man United fans vote for Axel Tuanzebe to start against Chelsea
Following Man United's stunning UCL win over PSG on Wednesday, MEN ran a Twitter poll asking fans if Tuanzebe should start against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. It was later revealed that 9,290 respondents (95%) voted in favour of Tuanzebe retaining his place in the starting line-up for the game against Chelsea. Only 5% of fans voted against Tuanzebe starting against the Blues.
Solskjaer now faces a selection headache with his centre-backs heading into the game against Chelsea as Harry Maguire has come under scrutiny for his below-par displays for United this season. However, Maguire did get on the scoresheet for United during their 4-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend. Man United will be hoping to make it three wins in three when they host Chelsea at Old Trafford this weekend.
Prior to his appearance against PSG on Wednesday, Tuanzebe last played in a League Cup quarter-final against Colchester on December 19, 2019. The young Congo-born defender underwent foot surgery earlier this year and showed no signs of rustiness, marshalling Kylian Mbappe expertly. Tuanzebe was used on the right side of a back three that also consisted of Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw.
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Man United vs Chelsea preview
Man United are currently in 16th place on the Premier league table with six points from four games. On the other hand, Frank Lampard's Chelsea are in eighth place with eight points from five games. The game between Man United and Chelsea is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 pm BST (10:00 pm IST).
Image Credits - Axel Tuanzebe, Harry Maguire Instagram
Updated 20:20 IST, October 22nd 2020