Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0: Morata header gives Blues deserved win
Alvaro
Morata's superb second-half header secured a deserved 1-0 Premier
League win for Chelsea over an insipid Manchester United at Stamford
Bridge.
The Spanish striker was reportedly close to a move to Jose Mourinho's
side before his eventual switch to the Blues and he haunted United with
the game's decisive moment in the 55th minute.
The
former Real Madrid man escaped the attentions of United's three central
defenders – Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones – to meet Cesar
Azpilicueta's cross with an immaculate header and secure all three
points for Antonio Conte's side.
United looked bright in the
opening 20 minutes – coming close through Marcus Rashford's looping
header – but faded badly and posed little threat during a desperately
poor second-half display.
The defeat means they are now eight
points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, whose seemingly
unstoppable march at the summit continued with a comprehensive 3-1 win
over Arsenal earlier on Sunday.
Chelsea, who have now lost just
once to United at Stamford Bridge in 16 league games, remain in fourth
place, but are just a point behind their beaten opponents and
Tottenham.
Full-time: Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd @AlvaroMorata's brilliant header secures the three points for the Blues!— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 5, 2017
WHAT A WIN! #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/mXENjy3WQM
Conte responded to Tuesday's calamitous defensive display against
Roma by replacing David Luiz with Andreas Christensen, while N'Golo
Kante returned to the midfield after six games out with injury.
Chelsea had the ball in the net after just six minutes and might
well feel aggrieved to have seen it disallowed. Marcos Alonso's cross
was met in slapstick fashion by Jones, who skewed a volley past David de
Gea, but referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Morata had pushed the
England defender in the back.
United should have taken advantage
of that reprieve just a minute later when Rashford escaped his marker to
meet Ashley Young's cross. Fearing a challenge from Thibaut Courtois,
though, the 20-year-old closed his eyes and his header looped harmlessly
onto the roof of the net.
In a pulsating start to the game,
Tiemoue Bakayoko then squandered a golden opportunity to give the hosts
the lead. Davide Zappacosta's cross caused havoc in the United defence
and fell invitingly for the former Monaco midfielder 12 yards out, but
he could only horribly slice a half-volley over the crossbar.
Neither
side could maintain the frenetic early pace and the next clear opening
did not come until five minutes before the break. Cesc Fabregas' corner
was met by the unmarked Christensen six yards out, but the Dane mistimed
his jump and the ball bounced off his shoulder and over.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 5, 2017
Chelsea's dominance in the latter stages of the first half continued
into the second period, and they were soon rewarded as Morata scored his
seventh league goal of the season.
Azpilicueta was given ample time to clip a cross towards the
middle of the United area, where the Spanish striker sent a superb
header into De Gea's top corner.
Mourinho responded by hauling off
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jones for Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial,
but it did little to quell the incessant wave of attacks by the hosts.
Bakayoko
stole possession from the lumbering Fellaini but could only fire wide
from the edge of the area, while the increasingly influential Eden
Hazard saw a powerful drive parried away by De Gea.
United's best
chances of a poor second half both came in the final five minutes.
First, Rashford screwed a half-volley agonisingly past Courtois' post
before the Belgian goalkeeper got down well to parry Fellaini's
close-range effort.
An equaliser for United, though, would have
been an unfair representation of a game that Chelsea dominated and
thoroughly deserved to win.
Source: Goal.com
No comments
Your comments and Encouragement are welcome