Despite a consolation goal that denied him a clean sheet, Altay Bayındır played a pivotal role in Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday.
While a clean sheet remains elusive for the Turkish goalkeeper, his distribution and long-ball ability proved to be a game-changing factor. The win, however, does little to quiet the debate over his future as the club’s number one, with new signing Senne Lammens waiting in the wings.
The defining moment of the match came just five minutes in, following a classic “route one” play initiated by Bayındır. His long kick upfield was flicked on beautifully by striker Benjamin Šeško, sending teammate Bryan Mbeumo through on goal. Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, was subsequently sent off for a foul on Mbeumo outside the box.
The impact of this single passage of play was not lost on post-match analysts. On MUTV [via United in Focus], former United defender Wes Brown praised the keeper’s awareness. “It was a good start, first of all from the ‘keeper,” Brown said. “He knows from training with Šeško for a while now, beautiful flick on for Mbeumo.” Fellow analyst Luke Chadwick added, “That kind of play can be frowned upon in this day and age, the goalkeeper with the long kick.”
Bayındır has shown a knack for this kind of play before, having set up a shot on target for Matheus Cunha with a similar long pass against Fulham earlier this season. Chadwick credited Šeško for his role in the play, which he argued was the key to United’s victory. “Šeško has done absolutely fantastic, it’s a brilliant flick on,” Chadwick said. “You could argue that has won Manchester United this game, that one passage of play there with the goalkeeper sent off.”
However, despite his offensive contribution, Bayındır’s wait for a clean sheet continues. The Turkish star has now conceded in all five of his Premier League appearances this season, with Nathaniel Chalobah’s second-half header ensuring the streak extends to a full year since his last clean sheet for the club. With the highly-rated Lammens now on the squad, questions remain whether manager Ruben Amorim will continue to start Bayındır, or if the Turkish keeper is on a short leash.
