Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
Chelsea and Manchester United slugged out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday which left them in fourth and fifth place in the Premier League.
It looked like the points would be shared throughout the game, but a goalless stalemate was on the cards until a mad last few minutes. Jorginho thought he’d won the match for the Blues with a late penalty until Casemiro headed home on 95 minutes to earn the Red Devils a deserved point.
Last week I wrote the SBOTOP ‘Big Six Early Season Report’ and graded Chelsea with a B so far and Manchester United with a B- and now I’d nudge the Red Devils up to a B. I believe neither will catch Manchester City this season but both can improve.
Highlights of the game
Manchester United had the better of the opening 30 minutes owing much to the return of Christian Eriksen, and in the fist real action of the half the Dane found Luke Shaw with a superb ball but the full back shot wide. Eriksen and Casemiro were dominating the midfield and the United pressure almost paid off when Marcus Rashford got in behind the Chelsea defence but he couldn’t beat the in-form Kepa.
The visitors were knocking at the door, and Potter decided to change things on 35 minutes when he brought Mateo Kovacic to replace Marc Cucurella and that changed the rest of the half. With an unbeaten Premier League record as Chelsea boss to protect, Potter had also brought big guns Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back into this starting line up and the two strikers combined on 35 minutes but Aubameyang’s shot slid narrowly wide. And again, just before the break, a swift move from Mount to Sterling and then Auba almost broke through the Red Devils’ rearguard but Diogo Dalot made a crucial interception.
Manchester United had the last chance of the half through Antony but the young Brazilian sliced his shot wide when he was clean through.
Chelsea looked brighter after Potter’s switch and they were on the front foot from the start of the second half but, try as they might, they found it difficult to make clear cut chances, particularly after Erik Ten Hag had shored up his midfield by replacing the ineffective Jadon Sancho with defensive midfielder Fred. But the Blues plugged away and came within a whisker of scoring when Trevoh Chalobah beat Fred to a header and his effort shaved the crossbar.
At the other end of the pitch Bruno Fernandes tried to get the Red Devils going with two long range efforts, the first saved by Kepa and the second shanked woefully wide.
And then, as the game looked to be petering out it exploded into life.
After such a frustrating 90 minutes for the strikers, when the opening goal came it seemed almost inevitable that it would be from a defensive mistake, and when Scott McTominay bundled over Chelsea sub Armando Broja the referee pointed to the spot.
Jorginho is one of the best penalty takers in the business and he made no mistake, sending David de Gea the wrong way as he fired into the right corner.
The Blues celebrated, the fourth official signalled six minutes of added time, and in the fifth, the home crowd fell silent as Casemiro rose to direct a brilliant header in off the post.
Key statistics
The early season Premier League 2022 betting odds reckon Chelsea should make a top four place and the Red Devils are likely to miss out narrowly and nothing has changed today. Potters unbeaten record remains in tact but his team missed a chance to put distance between them and the Red Devils.
The Chelsea boss lost his first six games as a head coach against the Red Devils but he is now unbeaten in three, winning two and drawing one.
This was the 26th Premier League draw between these two teams, including the last five and seven of the last nine.
Chelsea had not conceded a goal in the last five games and Manchester United had not conceded in three.
What’s next?
In other Saturday Premier League 2022 news, Erling Braut Haaland scored twice as Manchester City saw off Potter’s old club Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1; but the big shock came at the City Ground where strugglers Nottingham Forest beat stumbling Liverpool 1-0. Tomorrow, league leaders Arsenal are away to Southampton while third placed Tottenham are at home to moneybags Newcastle.
Next up, Chelsea go to Salzburg on Tuesday to continue their Champions League campaign. The Blues are top of Group E and a win in Austria would take them through to the knockout phase. Then the Chelsea boss will go back to his old stamping ground when he takes his team to meet his old club Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Manchester United have a home Europa League tie against Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday, before they face former manager David Moyes when he brings West Ham to Old Trafford next Sunday.
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