Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United
29'- Rooney
53'- Luiz
80'- Lampard
Chelsea think that they have reignited their title hopes with a fantastic 2-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. The hosts came out on top only after a controversial penalty gave them the win in a match where both teams went all out for the three points. But the victors performance certainly earned them the spoils in a match that could have ko'd their title hopes in' the English Premier League.
The game got off to a flying start with Chelsea on the attack.
David Luiz won the ball in the back and hit Florent Malouda on the wing, who had his legs taken out from under him while Nicolas Anelka jumped on the loose ball, cut into the box and missed his low strike wide right.
The back-and-forth affair was a pleasure to watch for fans.
In the 7th, Patrice Evra did well to get down the left wing and play a teasing ball across the face of goal but no one was home.
Anelka had another chance moments later when Torres switched the field of play to find him on the counter. He did well to get into shooting position, but again missed a low shot wide of the far post.
United were right in the match throughout the first half. Wayne Rooney should have done better in the 21st when he clumsily missed a free header and the ball slammed off of his shoulder.
Rooney made due on his second chance in the 29th minute. He took a short ball from Nani outside the box, then took two precise touches before blasting to the near post and past the outstretched Peter Cech.
Chelsea somehow didn't equalize in the 38th from a Frank Lampard free kick, which bounced off of van der Sar, and then off of Branislav Ivanovic. The right back went for the deflection with the goal at his mercy, but van der Sar heroically got his hand up and swatted the ball away just before the Chelsea man could pounce.
Three points was the only option to keep Chelsea's miniscule title hopes alive. And they came out in the second half throwing everything forward.
The aggressive strategy paid dividends immediately. In the 53rd, Ashley Cole threw a cross into the box which Ivanovic flicked across goal, the ball bounced twice before falling to the waiting Luiz, who unleashed a perfect volley to the near post for the equalizer.
Chelsea were flying afterwards while the visitors began to look rattled.
Didier Drogba entered for Anelka in the 61st as the Blues continued to attack.
The match was wide open and Chelsea were enjoying over 60% of the possession in the second half. But United did manage a solid counter when Rooney and Nani did well to combine again and the Englishman got behind Michael Essien before firing his shot embarrassingly wide.
The Blues kept coming forward. But their lack of quality combined with some fine last ditch defending from their opponents kept them at bay. Torres provided a good example of that when he launched a bending strike at least ten rows deep in minute 68.
Rooney got a glimmer of space in the box in the 75th, but shot right at Cech while under pressure from Luiz.
There was controversy aplenty in the 77th. Luiz clearly took away the legs of Rooney off the ball, which should have seen him sent off for a second yellow card. But referee Martin Atkinson missed the incident and the center-half escaped.
Just one minute later, it was Chelsea who emerged with the goal they desperately needed. Chris Smalling was adjudged to have fouled (highlight starts at 3:05) substitute Yuri Zhirkov in the box. At the very least, the center half was unfortunate, as a lucky bounce off of his leg saw the Russian regain possession just in time to make contact with Smalling.
Lampard stepped up to take the penalty. And he boldly finished top shelf to give his side the lead with ten minutes to go.
Chelsea looked the more likely to score after the goal. Zhirkov was desperately unlucky not to score after his long strike was headed goalwards but came off the leg of Nemanja Vidic and deflected off the post and out.
Vidic's second yellow card added insult to injury, as he lost his cool and yanked Ramires down as Chelsea ran the clock down.
Opinion
The "Battle at the Bridge" didn't disappoint.
There were so many great performances to choose from in a match played at an absolutely breathtaking pace. I loved that both teams attacked from the outset. You could tell that Sir Alex Ferguson and company came to London determined to deliver the knockout blow to Chelsea's title hopes. Meanwhile, the Blues could settle for nothing less than three points without ending all hopes of an already unlikely title push.
Both teams were flying from the opening whistle. The first half was fairly even, with both sides playing attacking football.
Rooney's goal was an absolute peach of a strike. He turns, picks his head up, makes up his mind quickly, and has a go for goal. He might have done a little better with a couple more chances in the match, but he is once again looking dangerous. If there's any positive that United can take form the loss, it's the return to form of Rooney, who has now scored in three consecutive appearances.
Sir Alex Ferguson was fuming at the referee post-match. Luiz was great, but he absolutely should have received a second yellow for clattering into Rooney. And the penalty kick that came immediately afterwards was also a controversial decision (start video at 3:05).
While Atkinson missed the call on Luiz, I can see where he's coming from when pointing to the spot later on, as their is clear contact in the area. But you've got to say that Smalling was unlucky to give it up, as he doesn't have time to get out of the way, and Zhirkov has certainly gone down easily.
I was a little surprised to see United show so little fight after the penalty. They hardly had a sniff of the ball in the second half before or after the goal. Once again, they showed that Chelsea is the one team in England that can rattle them.
United didn't look at all nervous in the first half. They held the ball well in the midfield while Rooney and Javier Hernandez were giving the defense problems. Plus got the goal they needed from Rooney in a relatively even 45 minutes. But it all went sour for in the second half.
It didn't help that Nani was uninvolved, and you have to give Ivanovic a bunch of credit for keeping him quiet. Without the most creative of center midfielders, United rely on the winger to make runs into the middle and make defenses scramble. But he was unable to do so today, and Chelsea made the adjustments neccessary at half to key in on Rooney and Chicharito.
As for Chelsea, they have played some fine halves of football this season. After all, they have scored seven goals in a match four times this year. That being said, they've never played a better half than the second 45 minutes against Man U. The stakes are rarely higher. The crowd was tense throughout, uneasy about being forced to stomach the image of Ferguson's side ending their season on their own pitch.
All in all, Chelsea were up against pressure that they hadn't yet faced this season. And they rose to the challenge sporting the combination of toughness, quality, and swagger that brought them silverware last year.
The Luiz goal was simply fantastic. I've got to say, he looks to be worth all of that money they spent.
I didn't know a ton about Luiz at Benfica. Plus you never know how a newly signed center half will adjust to the rigors of the EPL (we've seen much more well heralded ones fail before). But this guy has what it takes. He's got to learn to be a bit more disciplined as he gave up a poor penalty last week against Fulham and should have been sent off against Man U. But he's a fine defender with great lateral quickness and ball control.
It was a pleasure to watch Luiz and Rooney go against each other. Rooney's goal was fantastic, but to me it was Luiz who continually showed his quality. Several times, he would anticipate a pass to Rooney and step in front to intercept. On other occasions, he would get right behind the in-form striker and force him to quickly release the ball or take him one-on-one. Luiz got the better of him in those situations, and helped keep the United tally to one goal.
Furthermore, he is a fine player on the ball. His touch is fine, and he plays a great ball out of the back. The goal he scored was a great one. But it was no mistake. If you're thinking that was a once in a lifetime strike from a center half, you're dead wrong. Luiz has great technique on the ball and passes extremely well. At just 23, we might be witnessing the coming out party for the next great Brazilian center half.
Vidic and Rio Ferndinand have been the top center back pairing in England for some time now. But I think Luiz and John Terry could give them a real run for their money.
Now that I've revealed my man crush for Luiz in full, let's get back to the match itself.
The Plot Thickens...
We're in for a race to the finish regarding the title.
Arsenal can move to within one point of Manchester United with a win at home against Sunderland on Saturday. United could increase the lead back to four on Sunday against Liverpool, but the Gunners would have a match in hand.
That trip to Anfield looks a difficult one. Man U will play Sunday without vaunted center backs Vidic (suspension) and Ferdinand (injury). Smalling will continue to deputize for Ferdinand. But with Johnny Evans unavailable, Ferguson will turn to Wes Brown in the back. Luis Suarez must be licking his chops, but that's a thought for another time.
In closing, all I can say is that we are in for one hell of a title race. Chelsea claim they still have a hand in it, but it's Arsenal who will really be nipping at Man U's heels if they can beat Sunderland (a terrible road outfit) on Saturday. Remember, the Gunners host Man U at the Emirates later this season and don't have to play Chelsea or Manchester City again. The race is on, my friends. And it's going to be damn fun to watch.
