A painful night for Chelsea

Manchester United have completed their first league double over Chelsea since the 1987-88 campaign, while this is the first time they have done so without conceding since 1964-65. The Blues have lost seven home games in all competitions this season, their most in a single campaign since 1994-95 (also seven). Again, they have lost all 5 of their home league games when conceding the first goal this season; only two other sides have failed to recover a single point at home when conceding first in the Premier League this season (Norwich City and West Ham).

Then there was that Harry Maguire incident - Maguire was lucky to go unpunished for kicking out at Batshuayi, who subsequently squandered a brilliant chance after terrific work from Mason Mount. And then, Chelsea were inches away from taking a sixth-minute lead when Reece James lashed wide. And then, the Blues dealt a telling blow when N'Golo Kante was forced off through injury in the 12th minute.

Then, Chelsea thought they had equalized when Kurt Zouma tucked home from a corner, only for VAR to disallow the goal for Cesar Azpilicueta's push on Brandon Williams.

Well, Giroud's header seemed to have set up a grandstand finish, but VAR, yet again, came to United's rescue. Mount, then, hit the post as the Blues' efforts proved fruitless, with Caballero preventing substitute Odion Ighalo netting a debut goal in stoppage time.

It was Anthony Martial who gave the Reds the lead, despite their poor showing on the pitch - Anthony Martial became the third player from Manchester United to score home and away Premier League goals against Chelsea in the same season, after Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 and Eric Cantona in 1992-93.

When Maguire headed a Bruno Fernades corner to secure the points, it only increased the pain more in a night, which was quite painful for Frank Lampard and his boys. Harry Maguire scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester United; each of his past four strikes in the competition has been away from home, with this his first since January 2019 at Liverpool.

The Red Devils were on the back foot for the majority of the first half, as Chelsea controlled the pace of the game in midfield and advanced into more deadly positions.

But it was the night where luck dictated the game more than anything. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won all five of his away games as United manager against Chelsea and Manchester City in all competitions, more than the Red Devils had won in their previous 19 such games under Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho combined.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 18/02/2020 A painful night for Chelsea 

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