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Chelsea boss gives verdict on Manchester United and reveals why he was surprised by them

Man United were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Friday night.

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is interviewed by Sky Sports.

Enzo Maresca praised Manchester United after his side beat them at Stamford Bridge.

(Image: Sky Sports.)

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was complimentary about Manchester United's performance after his side secured a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday.

Marc Cucurella netted the only goal of the game, guiding a brilliant second half header past United goalkeeper Andre Onana, to secure all three points for the Londoners, condemning the Reds to an 18th Premier League defeat of the season in the process.

United started the game brightly and thought they had taken the lead with less than 20 minutes on the clock when Harry Maguire guided home a Bruno Fernandes cross. However, his strike was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Chelsea huffed and puffed in pursuit of an opener and it eventually came 19 minutes from time when Cucurella headed home a Reece James cross.

Acknowledging that his side had to work hard for all three points, Maresca hinted that he was surprised by the aggressive nature of United's performance, which he said made it "very difficult" for his team.

"I know how difficult it is to play against United," Maresca told Sky Sports. "We expected a very tough game.

"They played very well. I was completely confident, overall, it was a game that we could have a good moment and score a goal.

"I used to watch five, six, seven games when we play against a team. I have never watched them [United] so aggressive - they were man to man, and it was very difficult.

"Off the ball, I think we played a fantastic game. The team was very aggressive until the end, we tried to press higher, and I think we deserved to win the game.

"It is nice to work on some solutions and then you score."

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