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Monday 6 November 2017

Premier League Match Report - Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
A superb Alvaro Morata header, scored early in the second half, proved decisive as the Blues secured a deserved victory against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Morata’s eighth goal of the season, a perfectly-executed header from a Cesar Azpilicueta cross, was the difference as Antonio Conte’s side moved to within one point of our opponents.

Chelsea were the better team in what was an entertaining game, with Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas unfortunate not to break the deadlock in the first half.

United looked to have salvaged a point late on through substitute Marouane Fellaini but Thibaut Courtois produced a magnificent save to deny his compatriot.

The positive news regarding team selection was the return of N’Golo Kante, who started for the Blues having not featured since the home game against Manchester City at the end of September.

Andreas Christensen was also named in the starting line-up, while Davide Zappacosta came into the side, allowing Cesar Azpilicueta to shift back into a central-defensive position.

Eden Hazard partnered Alvaro Morata in a two-man attack for the Blues, with both Willian and Pedro named among the subs, along with 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu.

Nemanja Matic, a two-time title-winner with Chelsea, started for the visitors, and another of our former players, Romelu Lukaku, led the line for United.

There was a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off to mark Remembrance Day, with serving members of the Armed Forces marching out and placing a banner on the pitch.
Alvaro Morata drew a foul from Chris Smalling inside the opening couple of minutes and from Fabregas’s short free-kick, Kante, a scorer twice against United at the Bridge last season, forced David de Gea into a save low down to his left.

From our next attack it looked as though we’d taken the lead when a teasing Marcos Alonso delivery was diverted into his own net, on the volley, by Phil Jones, but Morata was adjudged to have fouled the defender while challenging the ball and the strike was ruled out.

It was a lively opening to the contest and at the other end Marcus Rashford looped a header just over the bar from an Ashley Young cross.

The Blues had started the game well and were looking a threat every time we attacked, with Tiemoue Bakayoko passing up a decent opportunity from a Zappacosta cross, the Frenchman steering his short wide. Bakayoko then drove at the United defence from deep, after being picked out by Hazard, and saw his low strike whistle past the post via a deflection.

Both teams were happy to commit men forward when in possession, and Thibaut Courtois produced a fine save to thwart his compatriot Lukaku as the striker spun inside the box and fired towards the bottom corner.
It was then De Gea’s turn to ensure the game remained goalless when the Spaniard palmed a powerful Hazard drive away after the attacker had burst away from Young, and while Fabregas was first to pounce on the loose ball he could only guide his header into the side netting.

As the half-hour mark approached there had been no shortage of goalmouth action, but crucially there was still nothing between the teams.
Christensen was looking comfortable and assured at the back, and the youngster earned a round of applause from Conte following one superb piece of play when, under pressure from Rashford by the corner flag, he calmly manoeuvred himself into a position where he was able to play it back to Courtois.

With what proved to be the last real opportunity of the half Cesar Azpilicueta, who had escaped the attention of the United defenders inside the penalty area, headed over the bar, and it was goalless at the interval.

Within three minutes of the restart Jones was shown a yellow card after scything down Hazard in full view of the referee, and just a couple of minutes later Ander Herrera followed his team-mate into the book for stamping on the Belgian’s left foot.

Hazard should have broken the deadlock from the next chance of note when he was unable to generate enough power in his strike after being picked out by Fabregas, but it didn’t matter because from our next foray into the United half we took the lead with a goal of the highest quality.

Azpilicueta carried the ball forward from deep and, spotting the run of Morata, who had drifted between Jones and Smalling, picked out his compatriot with a superb ball. The striker still had plenty to do, but his header was as good as it gets, as he glided through the air and guided the ball into the top corner with De Gea rooted to the spot.

It was Morata’s first goal since he scored the equaliser in Madrid, and what a time to get it.
Conte made his first change with 25 minutes left to play as Toni Rudiger replaced Zappacosta, with Azpilicueta moving out to a right wing-back position. That switch came moments after United had introduced Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini.

Fellaini endured a difficult opening few minutes with a booking, for a foul on Morata, preceding a mistake from which Bakayoko almost extended our advantage. Hazard then went close with a right footed drive which was well saved by De Gea.

Danny Drinkwater was introduced for the final 12 minutes against the club where he started his career, with Fabregas, who had been impressive throughout, the player making way. Jesse Lingard, meanwhile, came on for the visitors.

As United continued to chase a leveller, Rashford’s curling delivery had too much pace on it for Fellaini, who attempted to steal in at the far post. Rasshfoird himself then fizzed one inches past the right-hand post of Courtois.

Courtois them produced a stunning save to deny Fellaini, who had brought the ball down inside the box and volleyed towards the bottom corner.

Morata had a glorious opportunity to putthe game to bed after being released by Willian but the chance went begging.

Chelsea (3-5-2): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill (c); Zappacosta (Rudiger 65), Kante, Fabregas (Drinkwater 78), Bakayoko, Alonso; Hazard (Willian 87), Morata.
Unused subs: Caballero, Drinkwater, Ampadu, Pedro, Batshuayi.
Scorer Morata 54
Booked
Bakayoko 20

Man United (3-4-2-1): De Gea; Bailly, Jones (Fellaini 62), Smalling; Valencia, Herrera, Matic, Young (Lingard 78); Mkhitaryan (Martial 62), Rashford; Lukaku.
Unused subs: Romero, Blind, Darmian, McTominay
Scorer
Booked
Jones 48, Herrera 50, Fellaini 70

Referee Anthony Taylor
Crowd
41,615

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