Luke Shaw is not a player who would be first in line for praise against Chelsea, but he has started shedding his biggest worry.
Michael Carrick answered his critics that came crawling out after the Leeds loss by putting Man Utd in a prime position for UCL football next season.
The 1-0 win at Chelsea was a textbook example of a professional performance with clinical finishing sealing the deal.
Luke Shaw wasn’t one of the players who were in the limelight, but what he started doing against Chelsea fixes Carrick’s biggest worry.
Pedro Neto of Chelsea battles for possession with Luke Shaw of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2026
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
WHO was your MAN OF THE MATCH against Chelsea?
A massive performance and victory…
Manchester United players celebrate
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Luke Shaw’s overlapping dynamism is back
Shaw has been a figure of reliability this season by being available for every league game under multiple managers.
An easier fixture schedule has helped, undoubtedly, but while others around him kept going down, he has remained the first name on the teamsheet.
That’s appreciable, but it came at the cost of lost dynamism, because he played like the shell of a player who was once one of the best in the world.
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Forget about overlapping, Shaw rarely ventured out of his own half, and most of the defending he did was in front of him, instead of backing himself in a foot race running towards his goal.
Against Chelsea and Leeds, Shaw has started shedding the hidden cost of his fitness, overlapping with abandon and providing United with thrust down the left wing.
United immediately looked better once Shaw started playing like a dynamic full-back instead of a conservative one.
That is because Shaw’s overlapping ability was the missing piece to solve United’s biggest worry.
Shaw’s form solves Man Utd’s lack of width
The reason why Carrick preferred Patrick Dorgu on the left to start his reign was because of his ability to maintain width and go outside on his stronger left foot.
Do Manchester United need to replace Luke Shaw this summer?
Or do you trust Harry Amass and Patrick Dorgu going forward👀
Luke Shaw playing against Aston Villa
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Matheus Cunha has reinvented himself as a left winger since then, but at the cost of changing his game.
He has stayed high and wide, but also came inside on his stronger foot, all because Shaw couldn’t overlap to maintain width.
Now that Shaw has started doing it, Cunha can sit inside while United maintain width with Shaw. It provides a passing option for the Brazilian as well.
It’s no surprise that Cunha’s goal against Chelsea came from the central area, because he can ghost into those spaces now that he doesn’t have to maintain width by staying wide on the left.
Dorgu’s return will further boost United, but in the meantime, Shaw’s dynamism being back is huge.
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