Blues fans taunt manager in loss to Man U
Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba each scored firsthalf goals as Manchester United defeated Chelsea 2-0 on Monday at Stamford Bridge to advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
United, which has lost just once in interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 13 games in charge, has reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the fifth consecutive season.
A rematch of last year’s final won by Chelsea, Herrera put United ahead in the 31st minute and Pogba came through just before halftime to double the lead.
United had not played since losing 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the opening leg of the Champions League round of 16 last week — a defeat that ended Solskjaer’s unbeaten start.
“You want to see a reaction,” Solskjaer said Monday. “There’s a balance between being too eager (and not) after losing a game, so this was brilliant.”
The game took an odd twist late as Chelsea fans fed up with manager Maurizio Sarri joined their United counterparts in chanting for his firing.
Sarri, who replaced Antonio Conte in the summer, went unbeaten over his first 18 games in all competitions but has won just six of 12 games since Jan. 1.
“I can understand the situation and our fans, because the result wasn’t really good,” Sarri said. “We are out of the FA Cup, so I can understand. But I am worried about our results.
“We were unlucky. In the first half, we played better than the opponent and, at the end of the first half, it was 2-0 to them, so we played confused football in the second half. But, in the first half, we played well. We need, of course, more aggression, more determination.”
A change of manager has had the desired effect for United, which appointed Solskjaer after firing José Mourinho on Dec. 18.
Sarri selected a predictable lineup and Chelsea began well, but United grew into the game and always looked dangerous.
United will face Wolverhampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, which will take place March 15-17. Manchester City will travel to Swansea, Millwall will host Brighton and Watford will face Crystal Palace.