Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville revealed his honest feelings about seeing Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven playing in Manchester United’s victory over Chelsea.
Michael Carrick turned to Ayden Heaven and started the Manchester United youngster for the Premier League visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The 44-year-old United legend was without Red Devils defenders Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire due to suspensions and injuries.
Michael Carrick made the big call to use Noussair Mazraoui as a makeshift centre-back partner alongside Red Devils talent Heaven for United’s clash against Chelsea.
Here’s how the Premier League table looks now this weekend’s games are complete – Confident??
There's no way United will blow a top five place!
Gary Neville did not see Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven securing a Premier League clean sheet for Man Utd
Both Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven saw out the full 90 minutes of Manchester United’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
Heaven and Mazraoui earned major praise for their surprising defensive partnership for the Red Devils during Man Utd’s important visit to Stamford Bridge.
Matheus Cunha was the difference-maker at the weekend for Man Utd after the 26-year-old Brazil international superbly converted in the first half against Chelsea.
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Gary Neville admitted that Michael Carrick’s roll of the dice with Mazraoui and Heaven defied his wildest expectations for United.
“I actually went to a James concert straight after the game,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
“So, I didn’t watch my team play, but I have to say that I was watching a concert that I was absolutely loving and enjoying and then thinking when I saw United’s team and saw Mazraoui and Heaven at centre-back, I thought, ‘Oh, there’s no way that we can keep a clean sheet here.’
“But I thought up front, you know, Bruno [Fernandes], [Bryan] Mbeumo, Cunha and [Benjamin] Sesko, I thought, ‘Oh, we’ll score goals.’
“If you said to me one-nil, I would have said ‘no chance.’ That’s the most unlikely score; I don’t think we’ll keep a clean sheet and I think we’ll score more than one, yeah, that’s a brilliant victory for United.”
Wow! This proves it is all about taking your chances!
Man Utd were clinical when it mattered!!!
Gary Neville thinks Man Utd are now in their strongest position for a Premier League top-four finish
United remain third in the Premier League table after the Chelsea match and the Red Devils are level on points with fourth-place Aston Villa.
Neville is now convinced that Carrick’s men should likely finish in a Champions League qualification spot before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
“I think that puts them into an incredible position now for Champions League football, as does it for Villa today as well,” he added.
“So, a big, big win for United last night. Obviously, I’ve seen the goal and seen a bit of [the] highlights.
“Villa, incredible victory and they’re going to get into the Champions League now and that was massive for Liverpool that last-minute winner.”
The Red Devils will return to Premier League action at Old Trafford next Monday against Brentford, with Man Utd’s clash slated for an 8pm kick-off UK time.
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