Statistics & Post-Match Quotes | Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea FC

On Sunday, Manchester United defeated perennial title-contending rival Chelsea 3-1 at Old Trafford. The match was an open affair and if the finishing had been more clinical for both sides, many more goals could have been scored. For United, it was Chris Smalling, Nani, and Wayne Rooney that all bagged goals. Fernando Torres pulled one back for the Blues in the 2nd half. Here are the statistics and post-match quotations from Sunday's clash.

TEAM STATISTICS (via Opta)

MANCHESTER UNITED

* David De Gea (goalkeeper): 6 saves, 1 goal conceded, 31/46 passing (67%)

* Jonny Evans (left-center-back): 42/44 passing (95%), 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, 6 clearances, 1 block, 5/7 aerial duels (71%), 1 foul, 1 assist

* Phil Jones (right-center-back): 43/49 passing (83%), 3 tackles, 4 interceptions, 2 clearances, 0 blocks, 2/7 aerial duels (29%), 0 fouls

* Patrice Evra (left-back): 49/59 passing (83%), 6 tackles, 0 interceptions, 3 clearances, 1 block, 4/4 aerial duels (100%), 2 fouls

* Chris Smalling (right-back): 26/30 passing (87%), 2 tackles, 1 interception, 2 clearances, 0 blocks, 4/7 aerial duels (57%), 3 fouls, 1 goal

* Anderson (central-midfielder): 37/47 passing (79%), 3 tackles, 1 interception, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles

* Darren Fletcher (central-midfielder): 59/64 passing (92%), 3 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 key pass, 0 successful dribbles

* Ashley Young (left winger): 47/56 passing (84%), 1 tackle, 2 interceptions, 3 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 1 assist

* Nani (right winger): 39/55 passing (71%), 7 tackles, 1 interception, 1 key pass, 8 successful dribbles, 3 fouls won, 1 goal, 1 assist

* Wayne Rooney (striker): 38/54 passing (70%), 2 key passes, 2 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 1 goal

* Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez (striker): 15/17 passing (85%), 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 1 foul won

* Antonio Valencia (substitute | right-back): 19/22 passing (86%), 2 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 clearances, 1 block, 0/3 aerial duels (0%), 2 fouls

* Michael Carrick (substitute | central-midfielder): 18/20 passing (90%), 3 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles

* Dimitar Berbatov (substitute | striker): 14/14 passing (100%), 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 0 fouls won

POST-MATCH QUOTES

Sir Alex Ferguson | MUFC Manager (courtesy of MUTV)

 (On his general thoughts on the match…) "I think for the neutral it was a fantastic match. It was strange because games against Chelsea over the years have always been tight affairs. This was a very very open match. Some of our football was terrific at times. But I thought we created our own problems for ourselves by giving the ball away so many times in attacking areas and they kept counter-attacking against us. In the first half they could have scored two or three."

 (On United’s attack…) "I think we did okay when we got the ball up to Nani and to Ashely Young. I thought that was our strength and they couldn’t cope with that. When we tried to be clever in the middle of the midfield, we kept botching it up and they kept counter-attacking us. When we got the ball out to Nani and to Ashley Young, I thought that was our strength and they couldn’t cope with that."

 (On Rooney settling for a single goal…) "He’s hit the post and he’s missed a penalty kick. – I don’t know what he’s trying to do with that. He slipped I think. It’s unusual becaue Wayne’s normally composed and he takes his penalty kicks well. I wasn’t worried about him getting a hat-trick or not. I was more worried about us winning the game and we’ve won the game so we’re all happy.

 (On Ashley Cole’s tackle on Chicharito…) "To me, it was a shocking tackle. An absolutely shocking tackle. The referee’s booked him and, if he’s booked him, I don’t know why it wasn’t a penalty. I must ask him [Phil Dowd]. We don’t know how Hernandez will be. We’re going to have to wait until the morning but, at the moment, his leg is very numb. He’s hardly got any feeling in it so he could be out for a couple of weeks."

 (On Chris Smalling’s injury…) "Smalling’s got a groin injury so we’ll see what it’s like during the week."