Manchester United were in action on Friday night at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea for the season’s penultimate Premier League game.
There were no surprises in Ruben Amorim’s starting line-up as he went with a strong team, as he told Manchester United fans he would.
This strong selection made for a cagey affair, with an early Harry Maguire goal ruled out for offside as neither side created all that much to threaten the opposition.
The second half saw even less happen, with a penalty shout for Chelsea rightfully overturned due to a blatant dive with Andre Onana not even touching the striker.
Chelsea finally got the goal they needed through Marc Cucurella as the Blues kept their Champions League hopes alive, handing the home side a 1-0 win.
It was a game which meant little for United other than fitness ahead of the Europa League final, but one player might have played his way out of the starting line-up.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Rasmus Hojlund struggles for Manchester United ahead of Europa League final
It is not surprising to be writing that Rasmus Hojlund struggled against Chelsea, as he put in the performance he has been doing all season long.
United’s Danish striker struggled to hold up the ball or find teammates with passes, which left his teammates clearly exasperated by his performance, and the reaction to his play was visible.
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It was another night when Hojlund offered practically nothing up front as he lost duels and was bullied by the Chelsea defence making it impossible for United to build anything as he killed any attack he touched.
Hojlund lost nine duels in the game for United, which was more than anyone else on the pitch, while he also completed just 11 passes of 18 attempts.
This performance once again made it feel like United were actually playing with just 10 men, and this convinced fans of one thing ahead of the final.
Manchester United fans are convinced Rasmus Hojlund shouldn’t start against Tottenham
As fans were watching Hojlund struggle, the sentiment was clear that he should not be starting the Europa League final.
One fan wrote on X saying: “Whether Hojlund plays or doesn’t, we aren’t playing with a 9, so I’d recommend just starting Garnacho there for the final.”
Just do not think Rasmus Højlund should start the final
He’s the focal point of a lot of attacks and just gets bullied
— Dharnish (@dharnishiqbal) May 16, 2025
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This message was shared by a second: “Just do not think Rasmus Hojlund should start the final. He’s the focal point of a lot of attacks and just gets bullied.”
“I’ve seen enough from Rasmus Hojlund. There’s no way a striker of this form/standard should be starting a European final worth so much”, added a third.
A fourth fan wrote of his worries around the Dane: “I genuinely don’t know how to feel going into a final with Hojlund as the striker. It’s terribly concerning.”
“I wouldn’t start Hojlund in the final. Gives absolutely nothing at this stage”, another agreed.
A sixth commented: “I wouldn’t start Hojlund in the UEL Final, as much as he’s our only fit established striker, I’d rather start without one. He just doesn’t offer anything positive now, where even when he’s not at it, you know he’d put that chance away.”
Finally, this fan offered a solution: “I’ll take Hojlund off at halftime and try Mount/Garnacho false 9 as an experiment before the final.”