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Henrikh Mkhitaryan has suggested that he struggled to make an impact at Manchester United because he was not well-suited to Jose Mourinho's preferred style of play.
Mkhitaryan brought his 18-month spell at Old Trafford to an end in January and joined Arsenal as part of the high-profile deal which saw Alexis Sanchez move in the opposite direction.
The 29-year-old scored 13 goals in 63 appearances for United and was influential in their triumphant Europa League campaign last season, yet still failed to establish himself as a regular under Mourinho.
Show all 24 1 /24Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings De Gea - 7 out of 10 Was in fine form and made several superb saves to deny Terry in the first half and then Pedro and Azpilicueta in the second.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Darmian - 6 out of 10 Aside from one mistake in the build-up to Matic's chance in the second half, the full-back defended well and showed great understanding with Martial to attack Chelsea's defence down his flank.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Smalling - 7 out of 10 Enjoyed a relatively quiet evening as he was never really tested by Hazard, although he received a booking for bringing down the Belgian in one instance. Combined well with Blind to force Chelsea to attack down the wings.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Blind - 6 out of 10 Enjoyed a great game as he worked well with Smalling to protect De Gea while using his accuracy to push the ball forwards in attack.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Young - 7 out of 10 Playing at right-back, Young impressed - using his pace to give Azpilicueta problems while tracking back and defending when needed.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Schneiderlin - 6 out of 10 Dominated the play in midfield and was nearly rewarded when he saw his effort on goal go just wide. Despite getting a yellow card his challenge on Willian, Van Gaal will be pleased with his work rate.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Schweinsteiger - 6 out of 10 Enjoyed a good outing after being brought back into the starting line-up, working well with Schneiderlin to contain the likes of Oscar.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Mata - 7 out of 10 The Spaniard's pace and creativity caused Azpilicueta problems all evening and he should have gotten on the score sheet early on but saw his effort hit the bar.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Herrera - 6 out of 10 Was another United player who could have scored, but saw his close-range effort kept out by Courtois. Still, he worked hard in attack and defence.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Martial - 7 out of 10 The forward looked invigorated and determined and he constantly proved a menace for Ivanovic with his pace – seeing his effort hit the post. A superb reaction from the France international following some disappointing performances in recent months.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Rooney - 6 out of 10 After being dropped against Stoke, the United captain returned to the starting XI to show why he remains a key player for the club. He created several chances, carried out his defensive duties and showed leadership skills in a much-improved performance. Should have been sent off for a rash challenge on Oscar late on.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Courtois - 7 out of 10 Was solid when called into action - making a sublime close-range save to deny Herrera in the second half - although he nearly committed a huge error when he cleared the ball straight to Mata in the first period.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Ivanovic - 4 out of 10 Endured a torrid time against Martial, as he struggled to deal with the pace of the Frenchman, which allowed United to create their best chances from the right flank.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Zouma - 7 out of 10 Defended well alongside Terry, using his pace and strength to make several key clearances and getting involved in Chelsea's attacks during set pieces.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Terry - 7 out of 10 Had Chelsea's best chance to open the scoring with a superb header, which was saved by De Gea, while also enjoying a good showing at the back.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Azpilicueta - 5 out of 10 Struggled to stop Young and Mata from using the left flank to send crosses into the box time and time again. Later, had a superb chance to score but miss-timed his shot, allowing De Gea to make his save.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Matic - 5 out of 10 Defended well and tried to contribute to Chelsea's play going forwards. However, he let his side down when he blazed Chelsea's best chance high when through on goal in the second half.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Mikel - 6 out of 10 Proved a good partner for Matic in front of Chelsea’s defence, although he received a yellow card for a foul on Martial. The pair could have controlled proceedings in midfield better, though.
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Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Pedro - 6 out of 10 Used his pace and accuracy to create some good chances, including one that Matic should have converted, and also came close to scoring but was denied by De Gea. Struggled, though, to deal with Young and Mata's link-up play.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Oscar - 5 out of 10 Proved ineffective in creating clear goal-scoring chances for Chelsea, and was also guilty for giving away the ball several times. Not the best of performances from the Brazilian.
2015 Manchester United FC
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Willian - 5 out of 10 Was one of Chelsea's biggest threats going forwards, but he still had a limited impact as United defended in numbers against him. He did, however, disappoint with some poor free-kicks and was lucky to not give away a penalty for his handball in the area. Hauled off for Ramires with 20 minutes to go.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Hazard - 5 out of 10 Started the game up front in the lone striker role, but failed to have any real impact. Kept dropping deep to try and collect the ball, but it left Chelsea with no focal point. Improved in the second half, setting up Pedro, but ultimately a disappointing showing from the Belgian.
Manchester United vs Chelsea player ratings Best off the bench: Ramires - 6 out of 10 Added an extra shield to Chelsea’s defence after being substituted on for Willian.
Mkhitaryan was left out of United’s matchday squad on ten separate occasions in the months leading up to his departure, despite being fully fit throughout, with Jesse Lingard preferred in the No 10 position.
Speaking to Sky Sports Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Thursday night, the Armenia international claimed that he struggled to fit into the ‘philosophy’ at United.
"Everyone knows Arsenal play offensive football and I love to play offensive football,” he said. “In Manchester we were playing offensive football too but not in every game, so it was quite different.
Mkhitaryan arrived at United from Borussia Dortmund during the summer of 2016 but was made to wait for a sustained run of starts as Mourinho claimed his new signing needed time to adapt to English football.
The playmaker gradually won his manager’s trust and started the current campaign as United’s first-choice No 10, but his playing time was limited once again after several subdued performances.
Mkhitaryan has made six appearances for Arsenal since his move to the Emirates in January, registering five assists.
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