BEVERLY HILLS, March 01, (THEWILL) – When two of the traditional “Big Six” of the English Premier League Chelsea and Manchester United met on Sunday, sparks were expected as Manchester United needed to close the gap against local rivals Manchester City, whose record-winning streak was seeing them run away with the title, while Chelsea needed to establish a winning series of matches to reach and maintain a UEFA Champions League slot.
It did not materialise as they played out a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. In a fixture with goal-scoring opportunities few and far between because of the strengths of each defense-line, United have a right to feel hard done by the result based entirely on the decision of referee Stuart Attwell not to award a penalty for them in the first period.
The English referee overruled the determination of the video assistant referee (VAR), which confirmed, based on replayed evidence, that Chelsea’s youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi’s inadvertent handling of the ball during a tussle with Mason Greenwood a quarter of an hour into the game warranted a spot kick against the hosts.
Even though it was one of those handballs that would have been ridiculously harsh to award a penalty for, it definitely remained a penalty by today’s standards. It left Solskjaer with no choice but to lean in on his oft-repeated claim after the game that Chelsea, especially then-manager Frank Lampard, and the rest of their rivals had succeeded in turning match officials against the Red Devils.
That peculiar situation aside, the stat that ought to honestly bother the Norwegian manager is their score ratio against the EPL’s biggest sides. United have failed to score a single goal in their last six league ties against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur as each of their last four such matches have finished goalless.
When contrasted against the fact that United are the Premier League’s top scorers, a trend begins to emerge. Solskjaer’s charges become more clinical against lesser quality opposition, domestically and in the Europa League and show no problems getting goals. As soon as defences are tighter and limit Bruno Fernandes’ knack to cause havoc, United struggle with scoring.
United’s fifth 0-0 draw showed the difference in quality between them and League leaders, City. In the decisive matches they have not only mislaid their creativity and cutting edge, they have seemed risk averse throughout, something not seen when it is an easier opponent.
It must be one strong reason they are desperate to get someone at the level of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho next summer. The Englishman reached 50 Bundesliga assists for Borussia Dortmund this weekend, something that will improve United scoring ratios and help them crack open tougher defenses.
Apart from United’s own homegrown issues, Chelsea’s compact backline was as sturdy as it has become under Thomas Tuchel. Of the two goals the Stamford Bridge side had conceded in all competitions, one was an own goal. Andreas Christensen demonstrated why with his performance on Sunday. His commanding presence neutered United’s attacks, quietened Fernandes and ensured Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial caused no problems.
It peripherally appears that Chelsea would be the happier of the pair at the stalemate against United since it continued Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start to life at the Bridge, the German’s shepherding run now stands at nine games in all competitions, with six wins. Yet, tough as nails in defense, they still have not exhibited goal-scoring prowess in the final third that they need.
The goals have not been forthcoming with the average of his six wins being lone goal victories. The team is not scoring enough because it is not creating enough. Save one or two instances, it is difficult to recall any attack worthy of note on Sunday.
The Blues are not wanting of attacking talent, in fact Tuchel cannot accommodate all of it. He appears to have a tough time finding the right combinations. How long he can continue to depend on forcing mistakes from the opposition high up the pitch rather than crafting openings in a more proactive way is going to be his decision to make but it cannot be a strategy for a title contender. And, it can only go so far.
In the end, United stretched their away unbeaten record in the top-flight to 20 games and, with their second place in the standings, stayed six points above Chelsea, who are number five on the table. If there is not much of an upheaval at the top of the table, Solskjaer’s Red Devils will punch their tickets to UEFA Champions League as the most likely prize for their efforts this year.
As for the Blues, the work Tuchel has done is emerging but their excessively conservative play format is not yielding the type of result that will help them close the deficits that keep them locked out of UCL places at the top of the table. Given what he inherited from Lampard, some initial caution was understandable and suggested, but now, he must stamp his impact and push his charges to get ahead more.
The talents he can call upon are all there. They must kill off games with goals that help them avoid unnecessary draws and without compromising the newfound strength at the defense department.
Although a draw seemed a better result for both sides, the ultimate advantage remained with City at the top, who bask in the length of their lead which currently stands at 12 points. The other beneficiaries are the chasing pack behind United and Chelsea, desirous to unseat them in the race for top four.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
