Como head coach Cesc Fàbregas said he regrets telling his players to ease off towards the end of their 4-1 win over Manchester United. The Champions League upstarts put pressure on Red Devils boss Michael Carrick by beating the three-time European champions with ease on Wednesday evening.
Nico Paz produced a sparkling man-of-the-match display with a brace at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, where Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón also struck for the ever-improving Serie A side. Fàbregas' pride in the performance was tinged by disappointment at seeing United substitute Joshua Zirkzee score a stoppage-time consolation, as he had turned his attention to Saturday's match against Sassuolo during the closing stages.
"I believe that tactically speaking the team played a rather good game," the former Arsenal and Chelsea star said. "I regret maybe the last 10 minutes when I was the one telling the team to slow down the pace because there was another game and maybe with a 4-0 lead they could have managed something."
Fàbregas added that he had told Douvikas not to run anymore and to stay in the middle. "I'm the first one who always pushes the fight until the end," he said. "That goal hurt me."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing