Manchester United's Luke Shaw Makes a Statement with Performance vs. Chelsea

It was destined to be a make-or-break weekend for Luke Shaw as soon as Louis van Gaal delivered his team news on Friday.

The Manchester United manager confirmed he would be without Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo for the trip to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea at his weekly press conference. And with it, he unwittingly started a debate about Shaw's future at Old Trafford.

Shaw, the only specialist left-back in the squad, was the obvious choice to replace the injured Blind, Louis van Gaal's left-back of choice for the last four games. So obvious, in fact, that if he wasn't picked to start, it would have been damning.

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Fit again after missing four games through injury, Shaw might have been the obvious choice, but he wasn't the only one. Van Gaal could have moved Ashley Young to left-back and recalled Angel Di Maria. But he didn't.

He put his faith in Shaw. And he was repaid with the type of performance you might expect from a £28 million player. 

It's been a difficult season for the 19-year-old signed from Southampton last summer.

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He's been in and out of the team in his first season at Old Trafford, partly because of injuries but partly because he hasn't done enough to warrant a regular place. 

But if he carries on playing like he did at Stamford Bridge, he'll be United's first-choice left-back for the next decade. He was rarely troubled defensively, although he was helped by Jose Mourinho's lack of ambition.

But it was going forward where he caused the most damage. His raid down the left created an early chance for Wayne Rooney. He made others for Radamel Falcao and Ander Herrera. Jose Mourinho became so worried that he had to replace Oscar with Ramires midway through the second half to protect Chelsea's right flank.

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Shaw should be judged, not by his price tag, but by his age. It's easy to forget this is only his third season in the Premier League, his fourth as a professional. It's the right of every teenager to be inconsistent. Up one minute, down the next. And that doesn't just go for footballers.

Shaw had a good day against Chelsea. Van Gaal will hope there are more to come. There's no reason to suggest there won't be as he becomes more experienced. 

It became an important weekend for Shaw the moment Van Gaal, inadvertently, threw him into the spotlight. It could have ended with his long-term future in question. Instead, if anything, it will end with it secured.