Chelsea close in on Champions League after Cucurella sinks Manchester United

The alleviation wrong Stamford Bridge was palpable. Just arsenic Chelsea feared their Champions League dreams fading away, Marc Cucurella nodded the biggest extremity of their play and a firecracker wrong westbound London ignited.

For 71 minutes they had toiled, struggling to find a mode past a dismal Manchester United squad that person present not won successful the Premier League for 8 matches. But past came salvation: a sumptuous Reece James pirouette, his beauteous dinked shot to the acold station and a almighty header from the floppy-haired Spaniard. Who needs effectual attackers erstwhile full-backs tin bash the business?

With lone a sojourn to Nottingham Forest remaining, Chelsea are guaranteed to inhabit a Champions League spot heading into the last day.

For United, determination was astatine slightest capable endeavour to connection a modicum of encouragement. But much important matters than different Premier League decision await, with attraction present turning to their Europa League last against Tottenham connected Wednesday.

In stark opposition to Ange Postecoglou – who fielded an astir wholly second-string Spurs broadside successful decision astatine Aston Villa – Ruben Amorim had determined it was worthy taking a calculated hazard successful naming possibly the strongest XI astatine his disposal. Given United’s contiguous aboriginal hinges solely connected upcoming events successful Bilbao, it was thing if not bold.

“Sometimes the champion mode to hole for a last is to compete,” helium explained pre-match, suggesting that astir of the injuries his players had suffered this play occurred during training. That meant sending retired his lone 3 acceptable elder centre-backs and crossing his fingers that each troops would look unscathed.

It was nary casual task successful the opening exchanges to spot which of the 2 sides are slugging it retired adjacent the apical of the array and which beryllium embarrassingly adjacent to the relegation zone. Routinely struggling to play retired from the backmost and outmuscled successful the mediate of the pitch, the hosts received an almighty fto disconnected 16 minutes into proceedings erstwhile United thought they had taken a well-earned lead.

Displaying his recently developed penchant for masquerading arsenic a centre-forward, Harry Maguire expertly turned Bruno Fernandes’ in-swinging transverse goalwards, lone for the video adjunct referee to spot that his enarthrosis had strayed offside arsenic the shot was delivered.

Marc Cucurella heads Chelsea’s second-half winner. Photograph: James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

If astir United fans were blessed capable to cede triumph successful speech for a cleanable measure of health, the visiting players could surely not beryllium accused of shirking challenges. Fernandes’ aggravated carnal conflict with Moisés Caicedo often skirted the lines of legality, with small interest for idiosyncratic extortion connected either part.

The Maguire reprieve seemed to awaken Chelsea, who came adjacent to what would person been a spectacular opener of their ain erstwhile skipper James chopped crossed a bouncing shot from range, fizzing the sweetest of strikes with the extracurricular of his footwear against the United upright.

But for each their domination arsenic the archetypal fractional wore connected – Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke desperately endeavouring to make – Enzo Maresca’s broadside paid for a deficiency of potency successful beforehand of goal. Appeals for a punishment went unanswered erstwhile Enzo Fernández’s volley smashed into Rasmus Højlund’s manus from adjacent range, and it was not until the timepiece ticked into first-half wounded clip that they yet deed the target, André Onana keeping retired Palmer’s deflected looping shot.

Leading the enactment connected his archetypal Premier League start, 19-year-old Tyrique George headed for the changing country having touched the shot lone six times each half. Amid quality that Villa’s triumph had pushed Chelsea down to sixth successful the unrecorded table, a increasing consciousness of unease began permeating among the location supporters, who started to fearfulness losing power of their ain top-five destiny.

If determination was 1 subordinate they could not tummy scoring it was Chelsea younker merchandise Mason Mount, who was routinely jeered successful possession throughout. Thankfully for them, the England midfielder wasted an fantabulous chance, slicing wide soon aft half-time pursuing immoderate good enactment from Amad Diallo.

Then, connected the hour, came the game’s 2nd large VAR intervention. Having had precious small shot to enactment with, George needed nary encouragement to spell down arsenic helium felt the unit of the onrushing Onana wrong the United punishment area, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to constituent to the spot. Onana was instantly appalled, Kavanagh was sent to the surface and justness prevailed erstwhile replays showed a wide goalkeeper mitt connected the ball.

There were nary doubts astir the veracity of Cucurella’s perfectly taken header though, and Chelsea should truly person doubled their pb minutes aboriginal erstwhile Madueke drove wide with lone Onana to beat. United continued to huff, but Amorim began ringing the changes and thoughts began to drift to Bilbao.