CHELSEA 1, MANCHESTER UNITED 0
- Manchester United revert to three man back line against Chelsea
- Phil Jones own goal ruled out by Alvaro Morata push
- Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross finds Morata who heads Chelsea winner
- Romelu Lukaku hasn’t scored in seven games
Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge was spoiled again by Antonio Conte’s Chelsea as they ran out 1-0 winners in a crucial game which left second placed Manchester United a massive eight points behind league leaders Manchester City after just eleven Premier League games.
Alvaro Morata, with his first goal for Chelsea since September, settled the contest in the 55th minute as Chelsea, with Cesc Fabregas firing on all cylinders, overpowered a curiously off colour United who could not trouble Tibaut Courtois in the Chelsea goal.
Morata’s opposite number, Romelu Lukaku, endured another quiet afternoon as his record against top class opposition remained feeble – with just a shot on target in the first half for an out-of-sorts striker who hadn’t scored in six matches before today.
No chance of revenge, then for Jose Mourinho whose United side lost 4-0 at Stamford Bridge last season and also exited the FA Cup at the quarter final stage against his former club.
N’Golo Kante returned to the Chelsea midfield and David Luiz was conspicuously absent while United fielded a three man defence as Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Marcus Rashford returned to the starting line-up after the midweek game against Benfica.
Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Martial missed out.
Jones was given a reprieve after scoring a spectacular own goal in the opening minutes and will have been quite relieved to see it chalked off because of a push by Morata who endlessly caused problems for the United back three.
Marcus Rashford did trouble Chelsea intermittently, however, but the Reds were more concerned by David De Gea’s goal being peppered by shots from the likes of Eden Hazard as Chelsea looked more dangerous.
The goal, when it came, was a bread and butter cross by Cesar Azpilicueta which found Morata in acres of space and in a position to head majestically past De Gea.
On came Marouane Fellaini, then, as United pushed for an equaliser but the big Belgian’s late strike from 12 yards was palmed away by Courtois to keep the Reds at bay as the game came to a nail biting finish with Anthony Martial brought on add more pace and width to the United front line.