Top-four race blown wide open
HARRY MAGUIRE was on the scoresheet as Manchester United blew the Premier League’s top-four race wide open with a controversial 2-0 victory at misfiring Chelsea.
Maguire was fortunate to escape a red card for kicking Michy Batshuayi in the groin, while Chelsea saw goals for Kurt Zouma and Olivier Giroud chalked off by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
England defender Maguire met Bruno Fernandes’ corner with a thumping header to confirm a seismic Red Devils win in west London.
Anthony Martial buried United’s sole chance of the first half as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men punished Chelsea’s profligacy to register a first league double over the Blues in 32 years. Batshuayi missed two glorious first-half chances..
Blues boss Frank Lampard has already branded VAR a “passion killer”, and two ruledout goals will only cement his frustrations with the system.
Chelsea could have opened up a nine-point gap on United with victory. Instead the Red Devils now trail Lampard’s men by just three points.
Tottenham head to Stamford
Bridge on Saturday, where a win for Spurs would now allow Jose Mourinho’s men to leapfrog Chelsea for the first time this season.
Chelsea’s ninth defeat of the season and fifth at home accounts for their struggles to hold onto a top-four berth.
Add this stuttering defeat to the lacklustre home losses to West Ham, Bournemouth and Southampton, and any more missteps could see Chelsea slip out of the Champions League qualification berths.