Man Utd made win over Chelsea too 'complicated' says Amorim
Ruben Amorim cautioned Manchester United against complicating matters excessively after they secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday, which alleviated some pressure on their struggling manager.
Struggling to retain his position following a dismal beginning to the campaign, Amorim gained vital support when Chelsea's goalkeeper Robert Sanchez received a red card merely five minutes into the match at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes swiftly gave United the lead with his 100th goal for the team across all competitions, marking his 200th Premier League outing.
Casemiro extended United's advantage before the Brazilian midfielder picked up a second yellow card in added time of the first half.
Trevoh Chalobah's tardy response for Chelsea created a nervy conclusion, yet United clung on for only their second triumph in six outings across competitions this season.
Starting the term perilously close to the drop zone, Amorim's squad moved temporarily to ninth position, offering the Portuguese manager a brief respite.
"This result was truly significant. We earned it, yet we overcomplicated things repeatedly," Amorim remarked.
"We began strongly, displaying fine intensity, pressing the opposition, and demonstrating presence to rally our supporters.
"Naturally, the goalkeeper's dismissal aided us greatly, but we dominated, netting twice. Despite the positive flow, our own red card disrupted that.
"In the second period, we handled it adequately, though the final quarter-hour proved challenging. They found the net, leading to shared anxiety before we prevailed."
Following a challenging season opener, Amorim took pride in United's resilience in clinching merely their second success in all tournaments this year.
United could not string together consecutive Premier League victories last term, and Amorim urged his squad to break that sequence against Brentford in the upcoming fixture.
Amorim demands urgency
"At times, we experience phases demanding an immediate outcome. This squad has repeatedly displayed that drive," he noted.
"We triumphed today. Victory feels good, but we must set it aside and reclaim that intensity. Securing the following match is paramount.
"In a major club, there is no notion of 'this was a solid performance, time to ease off'. Thus, let us restore that drive."
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed irritation after Sanchez's ejection derailed his strategy.
When questioned whether he would have favoured his goalkeeper allowing Bryan Mbeumo to proceed and score instead of committing the foul, the Italian replied: "Yes, that might have been preferable with 95 minutes still ahead.
"Robert likely recognises this too. However, deciding in a split second or two is tough.
"Certainly, if you ask, I would choose trailing 1-0 after three minutes over being a man short."
Maresca introduced three changes during the first half to counteract the momentum shift, including withdrawing England's Cole Palmer, who was nursing an injury.
"He underwent assessment this morning for this fixture. He was not fully match fit," Maresca explained following Chelsea's initial league loss this season.
"He put in tremendous work to feature, but lacked full readiness."