Gary Neville described Manchester United's players as "red mannequins" in the first-half against Chelsea. The Blues dominated the early proceedings at Old Trafford and Neville did not like what he saw from his former club.
United have not been in great form recently, it's fair to say, with Ralf Rangnick's men losing five out of their last eight matches. However, Erik ten Hag was confirmed to be the club's new permanent manager recently and there was some belief that it could have a positive impact on the out-of-sorts team.
In the very opening exchanges against Chelsea, the visitors were dominating possession in Manchester. Thomas Tuchel's team, who were set up in their usual 3-4-3 formation, were slick with their passing and knocking the ball around United at will.
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Neville, who was on co-commentary duty for Sky Sports' coverage of the clash, tore into his former club United for their performance in the opening exchanges. "They are playing against red mannequins, Chelsea, at the moment," the former United defender said.
As mentioned above, United's form recently may have boosted Chelsea going into the match. Tuchel, though, was quick to stress that he expected a big challenge at Old Trafford.
He said: "I am personally very happy to play against Man United at Old Trafford. For me it is one of the biggest stages, one of the biggest stadiums and one of the biggest clubs and locations to play.
"I arrive with a strong club, a strong team - this is the best way to arrive as a coach. I am very happy to have this match, and it will always be a big match for me, no matter which position and what current form they are in.
"That is why we prepare in the best possible way. We don't reflect so much on their situation and what is going on in and around the club. We focus on their last matches, and we should not get confused by the lack of points. For me, this squad is full of quality, and we need to take care on the pitch."
