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MOTD: Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea

By on October 26, 2014

Even for the Manchester United of old, under Sir Alex Ferguson, a draw against a Mourinho Chelsea side was rarely considered a bad result — not even when Chelsea were missing a star forward, as they were today. But for this Manchester United struggling to make the Champions League, and this top-of-the-table Chelsea, the result was far better — especially in light of the match’s phenomenal finish. Supporters will come away thrilled and players with newfound confidence.

It might have been their best result of the season, but moreover, it certainly was their best performance. Louis Van Gaal’s side deserved the point they won. The two sides were toe-to-toe for most of the match, with United arguably the marginally better side — not on paper, but in the fact that they looked more dangerous than Chelsea going forward. United held more possession, fired more than twice as many shots, and in the end could have won it just as easily as Chelsea could have. For Van Gaal it will be a landmark as well, because for perhaps the first time this season his side showed the one thing which drove Ferguson’s to so many victories — spirit.

It would have been so easy for United to surrender. They were expected to lose all along, and at least they had put up a good performance. Yet the Red Devils, who earlier this season may have collapsed, as in their infamous 5-3 loss to Leicester City, pushed even harder. United kept pushing and pushing until Chelsea eventually made one small mistake. The Premier League’s most successful side were granted a bit of luck in doing so, as the free-kick that Branislav Ivanovic yielded led directly to United’s goal, with a debatable second yellow also leaving the Serbian defender off the pitch for the vital play. They might have begun to run out of ideas, but never game up.

None of this, of course, is to say that Chelsea played poorly. On the contrary, on 80 minutes, the match appeared set up as a classic Mourinho 0-1 away win. But instead United found their tune late and proved that this squad could rival the best in the Premier League. Chelsea were simply the unlucky team who faced United when the squad finally started to gel.

For the most part it was an even contest, United looking perhaps slightly stronger, as should be expected at Old Trafford. For all United’s defensive woes this season, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling, their seventh center-back pairing this season, were solid in containing Chelsea. Rafael, aside from one naive booking, kept Eden Hazard out of the game so well that the Belgian moved further into the middle to find some space. Just three minutes in, Angel Di Maria sliced a volley over the crossbar from the right side of the box, and while most of United’s early chances came on the break, they looked promising. Soon afterwards United probably should have taken the lead as well, with Daley Blind (looking a steal at £13.8 million, half Maroune Fellaini’s cost), sending a through-ball into a perfectly timed diagonal run of Robin Van Persie. Only a quick reaction off his line from Thibaut Courtois stopped Van Persie’s low effort from reaching the back of the net.

Van Persie also shone brightly on the night in a much-needed performance with Falcao and Wayne Rooney returning from injury and suspension, respectively, next week. Twenty-three minutes in, his flicked header from Juan Mata’s cross nearly crept over Courtois, who had to use every inch of his six-foot five-inch frame to hold onto the ball. Di Marta then had his free-kick from a tight angle saved by Courtois, and on the brink of the half, Adnan Januzaj looked like he had the equalizer with Courtois helpless, only to see his slammed effort from the left side of the net fly into the side-netting. Moments later Di Maria sent a nicely worked free-kick routine into the feet of the open Mata at the edge of the box, who got under it.

On the other side of the half, United continued to patiently probe, but it looked as though Chelsea’s stern defense and quick counterattack had gotten the better of them as Hazard was sent into a one-on-one with David De Gea in the box after a neat one-two. Yet somehow he rushed his shot and sent it straight at the Spanish goalkeeper, who parried it wide for a corner. He was only given a break after Didier Drogba headed the following corner home after breaking free from Rafael at the near post. It was another classic Drogba goal — breaking away from his marker for a flicked near-post header.

It then looked like for all the world Chelsea would hold onto the result. They are Chelsea, managed by Jose Mourinho, after all. Mourinho went through all his usual late-game defensive subs. But United have to be credited for not slowing down. Van Gaal brought James Wilson on for Mata and put United in a 4-4-2, and soon afterwards Van Persie so nearly scored an equalizer, only to see himself again denied by Courtois after Luke Shaw played a clever reverse ball into his feet to set him in down the left side of the box. Wilson flicked a header onto the roof of the net as time ticked away, but United left it exceedingly late.

The match was already in the second of three minutes of stoppage time when Di Maria skipped down the left wing, and Ivanovic pulled him in his tracks. Phil Dowd was harsh in issuing a second yellow, and his decision was likely key in Chelsea’s disorganization in the following free-kick. Di Maria sent it in and Fellaini rose up at the near post, flicked a header down and though he saw his effort brilliantly stopped by Courtois, Van Persie, ever the clinical forward, pounced onto the rebound and with perfect balance volleyed it into the back of the net.

In the end, United earned the draw they needed, which because of the fashion in which they won was their sweetest result all season. For once, Van Gaal was blessed with the squad spirit Ferguson cultivated and enjoyed. And it might just be the turning point which allows them to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal in the next few weeks.

Man of the Match: Robin Van Persie

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.