'Brilliant' - Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag gives honest reaction to Red Devils throwing away Chelsea lead in second-half stoppage time

Despite a valiant effort to claw back a 2-0 deficit and take a 3-2 lead, the Red Devils ultimately succumbed to a late surge from Chelsea, with Cole Palmer's hat-trick securing a remarkable victory for the Blues. Nonetheless, their Dutch manager insisted that his team deserved to win, but lamented their inability to manage the game effectively which ultimately cost them the three points despite leading 3-2 until the 99th minute.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ten Hag said: "Yes we started poor, kicking the ball away and defending poorly. But you saw we were dominating the game and it was brilliant how we played - we deserved to win the game. But, you cannot give it away like we did and we have to manage this game better. It is a team performance, you can point to one of the players but it is about team performance.

"When it gets chaotic you have to deal with it as a team and we made the wrong decisions and we didn't help out as a team. Out of possession, we made a bad decision - a lack of concentration. Also, I think (un) lucky at the end with the penalty situation, questionable and very soft but we have to do better."

United's defensive frailties were once again exposed, with Chelsea registering a staggering 28 shots on goal. This marked the continuation of a concerning trend, who have conceded 20-plus shots in seven of their last eight Premier League games. Their total shots conceded in 2024 now stands at 225, the highest in the league. Despite these alarming statistics, Ten Hag dismissed the significance of these numbers, asserting confidence in his team's defensive capabilities.

"It is ridiculous," he said. "We showed we were fourth ranking before this game in goals conceded. Everyone is talking to each other after, we are good and we have good defending as a team, a good goalkeeper and a good back four so I cannot do anything with such stats."

With United's hopes of securing a place in Europe's top flight next season hanging in the balance, Ten Hag's future at the club appears uncertain. The defeat to Chelsea has intensified the pressure on the Dutch manager ahead of a crucial fixture against Liverpool on Sunday. United must regroup and address the glaring issues exposed in their defeat before facing their arch-rivals who will be eager to avenge their FA Cup defeat earlier in the season.