Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois denies Wayne Rooney
United struck the woodwork twice and were refused two penalty claims while there was a wonderful save by Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Chelsea, who remain perilously close to the relegation zone, will themselves point to three outstanding stops by United goalkeeper David De Gea while midfielder Nemanja Matic was guilty of a terrible miss.
There was a sense of occasion; a sense that something significant was about to unfold and it was matched by the start to the encounter. Within two minutes Wayne Rooney had smartly laid the ball back, from Ashley Young’s throw-in, to Juan Mata on the corner of the penalty area and his rising, first-time, left-foot shot cannoned back off the cross-bar.
Anthony Martial hits the post for Utd in the first-half
Then, at the other end, and Young cut out Eden Hazard’s low cross just before it reached the onrushing Pedro. From the corner John Terry deftly directed a header goal-wards that De Gea superbly, and one-handed, tipped over the bar.
United pushed back. A run by Ander Herrera was picked out by Young and he cut the ball to Rooney who did well to collect it and set up Morgan Schneiderlin – one of four changes from the soulless defeat away to Stoke City - whose first-time shot flew wide.
Where there had been a deathly slow approach, here there was urgency. United did not look like they, as Van Gaal had stated, dared not play and they were certainly attempting to get the ball forward more quickly and with far greater purpose and did so again with Anthony Martial skilfully working his way in from the left and striking a low shot that beat Courtois but, again, rebounded back off the goal-frame, this time the post, deflecting across the six-yard area.
United's David De Gea saves from Chelsea's Pedro in the second-half
Without the suspended Diego Costa Chelsea’s caretaker manager Guus Hiddink deployed Hazard as the furthest player forward but the ball was coming back far too rapidly to a United side stung into a far more positive approach which continued with Rooney taking possession from a free-kick and driving a powerful shot that Courtois pushed away.
There was then a nervous lull. As well as United had played they had not scored and that seemed to affect them. Chelsea had been second-best, at times looking like a team who sit an extraordinary 16th in the table, but remained level with United’s anxiety betrayed by the number of fouls they began to concede. It meant the first-half ended as the previous seven for United had – without them scoring.
Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois saves from Ander Herrera
They then were indebted to De Gea for not falling behind. Hazard sprung to life and slalomed forward before slipping the ball through to Pedro who bent his shot. De Gea parried one-handed with the ball falling to Cesar Azpilicueta only for the goalkeeper to recover brilliantly and beat it away with his other outstretched hand.
It was then Courtois excelled as Martial ran free down the left and crossed for Herrera to turn the ball goalwards from close-range. It seemed a goal – only for it to be anticipated by Courtois who dived to his left to turn it around the post. From the corner the ball was half-cleared and kicked-up, striking Willian’s arm but United’s penalty claims were waved away by referee Martin Atkinson.
Mourinho scarves were being sold outside Old Trafford before the game
The chances continued with Chelsea breaking quickly and Nemanja Matic making a great run that was picked out by Pedro with a cross-field pass that sent the midfielder clear on goal. He had time, he had space – and he also had a team-mate with Hazard on his shoulder – but he chose to shoot and blazed high and ugly over the bar.
It was United’s turn to counter and Mata tried to round Azpilicueta inside the area, from Rooney’s pass, but went to ground. Again United’s penalty demands were unheeded before a clear chance fell to Rooney, from Mata’s lofted ball forward. He was through with Courtois stranded but he wafted a leg failing to make enough contact and the goalkeeper easily gathered.
Rooney erred again. He latched onto a cross by substitute Cameron Borthwick-Jackson but blazed his volley, at the far post, high over the goal. It remained goalless.
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