'If Heaven felt any pressure, he didn't show it'
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Given only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of all the post-Sir Alex Ferguson bosses had experienced the feeling of winning at Stamford Bridge, style was a secondary element.
Chelsea may have hit the woodwork three times. They may have carried the more consistent threat. But Michael Carrick's team was the one that delivered.
"It was a game for a result," he said. "And we managed to find it."
There was overcoming the adversity of knowing that on top of the three central defenders he knew would be missing (Matthijs de Ligt through injury and Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire due to suspension), Carrick then lost a fourth, Leny Yoro, to a training ground injury.
That came so late in the week his chosen pairing, Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven, could only prepare with walk-throughs.
"I love when you see players thrive in those moments," said Carrick.
Heaven, 19, had not started a game under Carrick, having first been given his chance by Ruben Amorim and then his immediate replacement Darren Fletcher.
"Ayden has not played a lot of football recently, and to come into that environment is not something that you can take for granted," said Carrick.
"We say the same things to young players all the time. Sometimes they look at you as if to say, 'yeah, good one' but in terms of training every day and looking after yourself and being ready 'because you never know when that chance comes', he probably wouldn't have thought it would come at that moment.
"But he was there, he was prepared, and he took it in his stride magnificently well."
If Heaven felt any pressure, he didn't show it.
