Sunday 05/02/2011
Premier League
United make a dramatic comeback after being three down to grab a point at Stamford Bridge.
It had been 10 years since Manchester United had recorded a win against Chelsea at Stamford Bride in the Premier League and the reds were looking to set the record straight in pursuit of their 20th League title.
After it was revealed midweek that Anders Lindegaard is set to face up to six weeks on the sidelines through injury, the heavily criticised David De Gea was back between the sticks for United. Wayne Rooney was also reinstated in the starting eleven after missing United's last two outings against Liverpool and Stoke.
It was a cagey start from both sides as the game became a midfield battle of wits, with neither team managing to make any real inroads. This was until the 10th minute when Danny Welbeck got in behind the Chelsea back four and débutante Gary Cahill was forced into a last ditch challenge bringing Welbeck down on the edge of the area. Cahill failed to reach the ball, However the referee Howard Webb didn't agree, waving play on much to the England strikers disbelief. Moments earlier Webb had waved away another penalty shout as Ashley Young had his shirt pulled in the box, on another day United could have had two penalties and been a man up in the opening quarter of an hour.
The half continued with neither side giving much away in a half that passed with much incident. This was until the 36th minute when Daniel Sturridge got past Patrice Evra for the first time, crossing across goal from the byline, the ball clipped Jonny Evans and bobbled over the line to give the home side the lead. 1 - 0 it stayed, with Chelsea taking a slender advantage into the second half.
If the first period had been quiet then the second was anything but, as the blues came flying out of the box. After just 23 second half seconds they had doubled their advantage as Juan Mata slammed home a second following a pin point cross from Fernando Torres to put Chelsea in the driving seat.
United were stunned, and as they scrambled Chelsea smelt blood. Four minutes later they had a third as David Luiz headed home from a Mata free-kick. Chelsea were in dreamland as they lead 3 - 0 with less than an hour played.
United were shell shocked, but slowly began to find their rhythm thanks to the introduction of Chicharito soon after the 3rd goal. United had a lot to do if they were to get anything of this game, with their title aspirations fading by the second. And just before the hour United had a lifeline, when Sturridge, the creator of Chelsea's first brought down Patrice Evra in the area to give the reds a penalty. Wayne Rooney stepped up and hammered home a confident shot into the roof of the net to reduce the deficit to 3 -1.
The Champions were now in the ascendency looking like a transformed side. Ten minutes later it was 3 - 2 as Danny Welbeck was tripped in the box to give United their second penalty of the afternoon. Rooney slotted home again as an unlikely comeback now looked on the cards.
Chelsea responded well shoring things up at the back, reducing United's attacking threat as they looked to hold onto the three points. Fernando Torres, who had produced the miss of the season in the return fixture in September had the opportunity to give Chelsea back their two goal cushion, however like the game at Old Trafford he fluffed his lines opting to take another touch instead of striking for goal as United cleared.
Going into the final stages of the game United were piling on the pressure in search of the equaliser, when Rooney saw his shot parried by Petr Cech, Ryan Giggs had time to place his cross from the byline as Chicharito lost his man to head home from close range.
United had come from three goals down two pull things level at 3 - 3. And just as you thought they might go on and win it, Chelsea almost snatched back all three points as David De Gea made two world class saves. The first direct from a Juan Mata free kick as he just managed to tip the ball around the post. The second came moments later a he denied Gary Cahill from long range getting a fingertip to a ball that was flying into the top corner.United held on for the point, and despite dropping two in the title race. Coming from behind to earn a point where title rivals Manchester City had lost might just be enough to swing the pendulum in favour of the reds.
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