- Roo Legend: Rooney Retires from England duty!
- Australasia gets represented in the Premier League this year!
- Sanchez in North London, Where Have We Heard That Before?
- Sigurdsson Sale: Swansea could face Ragnarok after losing Thor!
- 2017/18 Premier League Predictions!
- PSG set to trigger record Neymar Fee!
- Mourinho thrives with a Prag-Matic approach!
- The Loan Ranger: Game of Loans!
- Rome(-lu) Wasn’t Built In A Day, But Hernandez Is Heading Hammers Way!
- Man United, Arsenal, and Huddersfield are all in a dash to splash the cash!
MOTD: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
Manchester Untied maintained seventy percent possession and Louis Van Gaal argued that his side were “dominant,” but Chelsea won. United may have had better players on the day and a more attractive brand of football, but Chelsea won. Throughout the season Chelsea have often played a less aesthetic, counter-attacking style of football, but are now cruising to the title.
Today, Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United can be labeled a classic Jose Mourinho win: he has never focused on the ideal “attractive” football but tactical acumen and grit reward his club’s fans with results. Again today it wasn’t pretty, but Chelsea dug deep to secure the three points and in turn are just two wins from winning the title. A win over Arsenal next weekend could set up a potentially title-winning matchup with Leicester City midweek. If there were any doubt left that Chelsea may slip up, they have not only confirmed that they are close enough to scrape by, but also have the capacity to maintain a lead.
And whilst United began on the front foot — Wayne Rooney curled just wide early on from the edge of the box — Chelsea were always in control of the tempo, first slowing it down and making their lightning-quick breaks all the more effective. It took just one good chance in the first half for Chelsea to take the lead, with Oscar’s delicious back heel finding the overlapping run of Eden Hazard, who tucked the ball through the legs of David de Gea, usually so good with his feet, and into the back of the net at the near post; and thus began Chelsea’s game of defense and keeping their lead.
This they did well. The Red Devils were frustrated up front, particularly Falcao, who hit the outside of the post in the second half after breaking through down the left side of the box. United have been fairly nomadic in picking formations, and were thus subdued by Chelsea’s archaic structure. The Blues started with center-back Kurt Zouma and Nemanja Matic as defensive midfielders, pushing Cesc Fabregas forward to form a defensive lineup. On paper, Oscar played out wide but more often than not tucked into the middle to spray balls to the runs of Hazard and Didier Drogba. Fifty-three minutes in, Drogba got on the end of a long ball and chipped De Gea, and although his effort was bouncing wide, Hazard got to the ball just before it went out. He was, however, denied by the post.
The second half was defined by United’s dominance and frustration in equal measure, and Paddy McNair’s low, twenty-yard effort forced Thibaut Courtois into a low save. Van Gaal’s side had fifteen shots on the night, but such was the defensive shift of Chelsea that only two found the target. Ashley Young, Maroune Fellaini, and Juan Mata were all sustained after outstanding performances against Manchester City last weekend.
Chelsea now must just go through the motions to secure the title. When Mourinho claimed that the title race wasn’t over, at least mathematically, even he, so conservative, must have been grinning through his teeth. Break out the champagne and start the celebrations: no mind-games can trick this time, Chelsea have all but won the Premier League title.
Man of the Match: Eden Hazard
Homepage photo credit: thearcticblues on Flickr