You can´t win anything with kids? – Man United´s starting XI the youngest of Premier League weekend

Manchester United’s starting XI to face Chelsea on Sunday was the youngest named by any team on the opening weekend of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has showed he is ready to build United in his ‘baby-faced’ image, with no team putting a younger collection of players on the pitch this weekend.

United’s team had an average age of 24 years and 227 days, with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and debutant Aaron Wan-Bissaka all 25 or younger.

The exceptions were David de Gea, the oldest starter at 28, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Harry Maguire, pulling on the United shirt for the first time.

24y 227d – The average age of Manchester United’s starting XI against Chelsea is 24 years and 227 days; the youngest of any team in the opening round of the 2019-20 Premier League season. Dawn.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 11, 2019

There was a similar look to the bench.

While Nemanja Matic, Sergio Romero, Juan Mata and Ashley Young offered plenty of experience, Axel Tuanzebe, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood are promising young talents.

United’s team was the only starting XI of the opening weekend of the season with an average age below 25.

Norwich City – who lost 4-1 to Liverpool – are next with an average age of 25 years and 89 days, as Daniel Farke continues to show admirable trust in the young players who got the Canaries promoted last term.

Southampton’s line-up – 25 years, 102 days – was the third youngest, though they also suffered defeat in their campaign opener, losing 3-0 at Burnley.

At an average of 25 years and 131 days, Bournemouth were next, but they again failed to win as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United.

The Red Devils’ visitors on Sunday also named a youthful starting XI, Chelsea’s youngest (25 years, 199 days) in the league since November 2012 (24 years, 261 days) when they lost to West Brom.

Today’s Chelsea team to play Man Utd! 

Thoughts?#MUNCHE pic.twitter.com/9xqblTgNd8

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 11, 2019