Chelsea see the podium receding and their place in the Champions League threatened after a defeat (2-0) against Manchester United who returned three points from the Blues on Monday after the 26th day of the Premier League.
With 41 points, Chelsea are now 9 lengths behind Leicester 3rd, but look mainly behind where Tottenham (5th) returned to a point, Sheffield United at 2 and Manchester United at 3. The Londoners have continued their bad habits at home in conceding a 5th loss to Stamford Bridge this season, while the Red Devils, the only team to have hung Liverpool this season in the league, confirmed its ability to take points against the “big guys”.
Deprived of Tammy Abraham at kickoff and, after 10 minutes of play, N’Golo Kanté, limping out, the men of Frank Lampard put a lot of energy but not enough quality into this match. They thus framed only one shot on 16, missing a big opportunity in the first period to 0-0 by Michy Batshuayi (26th), preferred until the 68th minute to Olivier Giroud in the lead.
Three major decisions
Chelsea will no doubt complain against the VAR for three major decisions and it will be right for two of them. First on a red card that was not given for a blow by Harry Maguire in the crotch of Batshuayi (22nd) and then on the cancellation of the equalization at 1-1 of Kurt Zouma in the 55th for a Cesar Azpilicueta stroller on an opponent, when he himself had been pushed in the back by Fred.
When #Maguire purposely kicks in the genitals of #Batshuayi ????
???? @daznglobal#Soccer #CHEMUN #Chelsea #ManUnited #Manchester United #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/k4SzOVb7Yx
– Sport Replay VOD (@SportReplayOff) February 17, 2020
VAR rules out Zouma goal for foul on Williams by Azpilicueta who had been pushed on to him by Fred. VAR all over the place. VAR turning atmospheres fractious. pic.twitter.com/x0Hk65Ev7g
– The Fresh Prince (@aqramist) February 17, 2020
The third decision, the cancellation of a goal from a diving head of Olivier Giroud, eight minutes after his entry, which would have given them a goal from the Red Devils, for a tiptoe offside remains questionable vis à vis alive with the spirit of sport, but characteristic of a finicky interpretation of video arbitration.
#CHEMUN goal canceled for #giroud ???????? pic.twitter.com/wy0ICFyzCE
– Mo Hitch (@moohitch) February 17, 2020
Manchester, for its part, was of clinical realism, scoring on its first two shots on target (out of 3). Two blows of heads as beautiful as different: the first uncrossed and while touching by Anthony Martial just before the break, after a good job of Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right (1-0, 45th), the second a real ” blow of helmet “of Harry Maguire on a corner of Bruno Fernandes (2-0, 66th).
(Afp / nxp)
Created: 17.02.2020, 23:31
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