Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has hit out at Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell for his lethargic performance in his team’s recent 1-1 draw against the Red Devils.
Chelsea were held to a second successive Premier League draw by Erik ten Hag’s side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (October 22). After a tense tactical battle for over an hour, Jorginho opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
However, Casemiro rescued a point for the visitors with a dramatic injury-time header.
Speaking on Sky Sports (via Metro), Keane discussed the Blues’ defensive structure during Manchester United’s late equalizer. He said:
“Chelsea were all over the place considering you’re looking at an experienced centre-half [Thiago Silva]. They’re not quite set there and of course, United are gambling, throwing people forward [and] it’s a great ball in.”
Keane also slammed Chilwell for his role in Casemiro’s last-ditch leveler, claiming the defender to be lazy and devoid of desire. He added:
“Chilwell, your typical full-back or wing-back, he’s just jumping for the sake of it. I don’t like that. When the ball comes in, Chilwell did not want to head the ball. He went through the motions like a modern full-back. It’s just laziness, no desire and it’s an amazing header.”
Chilwell, 25, started his fourth Premier League match on Saturday after being absent from the Blues’ squad in their recent 0-0 draw against Brentford. He completed 22 passes, made two clearances, won five duels and registered two interceptions during the contest.
While Chelsea are currently fourth in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 21 points from 11 games, Manchester United are fifth with one point fewer than the Graham Potter-coached outfit.
Manchester United interested in move to sign former Chelsea striker
According to Mirror, Manchester United are interested in acquiring the services of AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham to solve their offensive woes.
While Cristiano Ronaldo is unsettled at Old Trafford due to his lack of regular starts this season, Anthony Martial is currently out on the sidelines with a back injury. As a result, new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is expected to rope in a new attacker in the near future.
Abraham, whose current contract is set to expire in June 2026, joined Giallorossi from Chelsea for £34 million last summer. Since arriving, he has established himself as a first-team starter, helping the club lift the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League trophy.
Overall, Abraham has netted 29 goals and contributed eight assists in 66 games across all competitions for the Jose Mourinho-coached club.