Wins for Chelsea, United as post-Ronaldo era begins
There were home wins for both Manchester United and Chelsea in the English Premier League action on Tuesday, with the Old Trafford side making a positive start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped out from the Portuguese talisman's shadow to score in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Ronaldo's rollercoaster second spell at Old Trafford came to an end during the World Cup break after an explosive interview in which he took aim at manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners. On the field, his influence had already waned since Ten Hag took charge at the start of the season. Rashford has been a player transformed under the Dutch coach and carried his fine form for England at the World Cup into the Premier League's return. A brilliantly worked corner opened the floodgates for United as Christian Eriksen picked out an unmarked Rashford inside the area to sweep into the top corner. Forest were without their first choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson as he is on loan from United and his understudy Wayne Hennessey was culpable when the home side doubled their lead just three minutes later. Rashford's burst down the left and teed up Martial at the edge of the box, but the Frenchman's strike should not have had enough power to beat the Welsh international goalkeeper. The Red Devils finally got a deserved third three minutes from time when the imperious Casemiro strode forward to win possession and picked out his Brazilian compatriot Fred to slot into the far corner. Victory takes United to within one point of the top four and with a game in hand to come on fourth-placed Tottenham. Forest remain rooted in the relegation zone, but just one point adrift of safety. In the earlier kick-off, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount helped Chelsea ease to a 2-0 win over Bournemouth, snapping a dismal run of five Premier League games without a win. Graham Potter's side endured a torrid spell before the World Cup but sparkled on their return to Stamford Bridge against the struggling Cherries to move eighth, six points shy of the top four with a game in hand to come. However, victory came at a cost as defender Reece James limped off on his return from the knee injury which kept him out of England's World Cup campaign. James cruised through the first half but called for a substitution early in the second, pointing to his knee before going to ground and being replaced by Cesar Azpilicueta. Raheem Sterling provided the opener with an incisive low cross to the back post where Havertz slid in to convert in the 16th minute. Mount doubled the lead with a well-taken drive from the edge of the box in the 24th minute as Chelsea stepped up another gear before Pulisic had another goal disallowed for a foul by Havertz in the build-up. A fifth defeat in six league games leaves Gary O'Neil's men in 14th just three points above the relegation zone. (AFP)