The stage was set for the homecoming of a beloved at Stamford Bridge but on top of that for the fans of Chelsea, it was a day to be relished and cheered. Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bridge saw his Manchester United side getting a hammering right from the first minute. Tactics, defence, midfield and decisions, almost everything seemed to be going Chelsea’s way as Antonio Conte’s massive win gives them three satisfying points leaving them just a point behind the Premier League leaders (Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool). Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring right in the first minute and soon enough a complete domination and error after error defensively saw Chelsea rip apart United to shreds.
Gary Cahill scored the next goal after the Red Devils failed to handle a corner. Second half changed very little except for the approach from Chelsea who settled back and countered and soon once again just when United’s pressure was building on Chelsea, a breakaway, and a decent build-up saw Eden Hazard scoring and the final nail in the coffin was provided by N’Golo Kante sliding the ball home. In the words of Donald Trump, it was a ‘yuugeee’ win for Chelsea over Manchester United. On a side note Donald Trump is becoming quite the cultural reference, isn’t it?
Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois: 7/10
Made a couple of decent saves, especially the one from Herrera and then the follow up from Lingard. United didn’t work him much. A positive clean sheet for the Belgian.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7/10
Looked very comfortable at the back and he seems to have settled in perfectly in the new system.
David Luiz: 6/10
Luiz was lucky to be on the pitch after a reckless studs-up challenge on Fellaini. He received a yellow card as well but a clean sheet is a positive for the entire defence.
Gary Cahill: 7/10
Defensively he was hardly threatened but going forward, he got himself a goal with quick reactions and a neat finish.
Marcos Alonso: 7/10
Another decent game for Alonso who seems to be settling well into the system.
Victor Moses: 7.5/10
Brings a new dimension to the Chelsea team. Hard working and effective, probably one of the players that has benefitted the most in the new system.
N’Golo Kante: 8/10
Another solid performance in the midfield where the new recruit hardly put a foot wrong. Went on a run in the second half and got himself a lovely goal. It was a brilliant performance from Kante.
Nemanja Matic: 7.5/10
Retained the ball, held the position well and his passing from the midfield is another quality to like. Good solid display from Matic who kept the United midfielders at bay.
Pedro Rodriguez: 7.5/10
Worked hard on a big game like today and opened the scoring right in the very first minute. Made a witty run behind the back of United’s defence, beat De Gea and got the goal. Chelsea fans would expect more of this from Pedro surely.
Eden Hazard: 8.5/10
It was an excellent game for Eden Hazard who shined brightly at the Bridge again. Took his chance well and got himself a tidy goal. Impressive!
Diego Costa: 7.5/10
Costa didn’t get a goal to continue his scoring form but he was a threat throughout the first half making United’s defence nervous. A decent performance from the Spaniard.
