Neither Chelsea nor Manchester United have been fully convincing in entrance of aim this season – either side are being outscored by Erling Haaland presently – and that is essentially the most drawn fixture in Premier League historical past. We’re simply shocked and, if just for purely sensible eking-this-out-to-16 causes, grateful it wasn’t 0-0…
1. For 84 minutes, this appeared like being one in every of these Huge Six video games. All tactical and cancel-each-other-outty and, actually, if we’re trustworthy, a bit uninteresting. It was all set to be described by everybody as an absorbing chess match as a result of no person needs to appear to be they simply didn’t perceive it and that’s why they thought it was boring. Then, fortunately for completely everybody, it went all psychological. Barclays is inevitable.
2. With an eye fixed on the larger image it’s a level that’s, fairly clearly, a greater end result for Manchester United than Chelsea in what seems to be like being a cat’s-arse-tight scrap for the underside half of the highest 4. For one factor, it makes it 4 factors from two video games towards Spurs and Chelsea this week and that may be a very acceptable consequence for Erik Ten Hag and the gang. For Chelsea, it’s two factors from video games at Brentford and United at residence. That’s… much less acceptable.
3. And that’s earlier than we even get to the character of the equaliser, wonderful header that it was from a fully wildly excited Casemiro. The defending was insufficient from a staff that ought to have been capable of make a greater fist of seeing out these closing minutes towards a United facet that had already withdrawn most of its main attacking weapons when apparently accepting some extent at a time the sport was goalless and apparently firmly in impasse. Extra annoyingly, that’s now twice this season Chelsea have dropped careless factors at residence to a direct rival. They hadn’t managed this sport fairly so totally as they did towards Spurs again in August, however the (literal) level stays the identical. It already appears fairly cheap to imagine there’s not going to be a lot between no less than 4 groups scrapping for the final two apparently out there top-four spots this season, and pissing away 4 factors whereas charitably donating some extent every to 2 of these different groups shouldn’t be the one.
4. So in abstract, then, very annoying for Chelsea however a good level for United. And but there’s one apparent purpose for concern in each camps after that. For these first 83 avowedly goalless and largely chanceless minutes, the defending was admirably stable however the lack of attacking menace seems to be like being the largest barrier to success for each these sides. After this sport they each discover themselves among the many prolonged listing of groups being outscored by Erling Haaland. That’s truthful sufficient as a result of he’s an incredible large Norwegian daftness, however they’re additionally being outscored by desk propper-uppers Leicester and the whole remainder of the highest half bar Brighton. It won’t appear it on a day when Liverpool have shat the dangerous at Nottingham Forest, however each Chelsea and United nonetheless look to have fewer simple methods out of awkward video games than each Liverpool and Spurs. And admittedly, a Jorginho penalty and Casemiro header doesn’t actually do something to vary that evaluation.
5. What a header, although. And what a major one it may actually show to be. He had completely no proper to get something a lot on a ball that gave the impression to be heading Scott McTominay’s approach for an unlikely shot at post-penalty (extra on that later) redemption. To arc it again the place it got here from and with sufficient oomph to overpower Kepa Arrizabalaga’s admittedly limp try and hold it out was a feat of power and contortion that few may handle at any level, by no means thoughts the 94th minute of a Huge Six conflict in Our League. Casemiro has had a clumsy begin to life at United however he’s been an enormous a part of their greatest week of the Premier League season. Excellent towards Spurs, glorious right here.
6. For all that VAR is the satan, we must always all nonetheless be thankful for the existence of goalline expertise as a result of that aim would have been outrageously troublesome for the officers to present in actual time. The ball was by no means absolutely over the road whereas it was on the bottom, the place issues are considerably simpler to guage, solely making its approach into the aim by the barest of margins between bouncing and being futilely dragged again by Kepa.
7. And this kind of factor (annoying late factors dropped, not objectives that go in by the width of a gnat’s hair) goes to maintain taking place to Chelsea if they will’t discover a dependable and constant path to aim. Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and an off-the-pace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed one off-target shot between them for all Chelsea managed to progressively assume some type of management of the competition till the dramatic late scenes. Graham Potter in control of a staff that does a number of actually superb issues however seems to be a bit toothless in entrance of aim, is it?
8. So then to what had appeared set to be Chelsea’s matchwinner and the best way it got here from what at all times appeared their likeliest path to success. It was a tender penalty, but it surely was additionally very undoubtedly a penalty. McTominay was performed like a fiddle by Armando Broja, who initiated the contact from a nook after which fairly rightly took the direct path to floor as quickly as McTominay was silly sufficient to wrap his arms round him. Hook, line and sinker. A daft little bit of play that carried minimal reward for max danger and even when he did have the flimsiest of instances for a foul towards him within the first place the identical risk-reward evaluation nonetheless applies. Get handsy within the penalty space as a defender and also you’re at all times taking an enormous danger. He and United may don’t have any complaints.
9. It’s not likely a criticism however I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen a keeper look much less prone to save a penalty than David De Gea, who spent an excellent 20 seconds wanting just like the sufferer in that mansplaining meme as Bruno Fernandes issued an entire batch of directions on how greatest to cope with Jorginho’s penalty. None of them helped.
10. One trendy pattern we’re having fun with with penalties is the best way every staff has a delegated spot-protector and heat-taker whose solely job on the award of a penalty is to go and stand by the penalty spot and get shouted at by opponents, shout again, be sure no scuffing up can happen and usually simply enable the poor sod who will finally take the penalty a number of moments of calm to prepared themselves in peace. Wily previous professional Cesar Azpilicueta is, after all, an ideal particular person to fulfil this position; robust sufficient to face his floor, composed sufficient to not lose his thoughts and exacerbate the state of affairs. He performed the half to perfection right here.
11. Means again within the far-off distant instances of the primary half, United had been really having fun with the majority of the play. They weren’t precisely carrying on the place they left off towards Spurs, however had been having a lot the higher of the primary half. Marcus Rashford was discovering holes between the often disparate parts of Chelsea’s again three whereas Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, typically ably assisted by Bruno Fernandes had been overpowering Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the midst of the park.
This was proven most clearly when all three harried Chelsea excessive up the pitch to create an opportunity that Rashford narrowly didn’t carry over the advancing Kepa, whose save redeemed his personal error from moments earlier when he determined to try to catch an overhit Antony cross that was crusing harmlessly out of play and managed solely in dropping it behind his personal aim for a nook.
12. Graham Potter shouldn’t be daft, although, and noticed that one thing wanted to be achieved. Marc Cucurella was withdrawn, Chelsea reverted to a again 4, and Mateo Kovacic was deployed to bolster the midfield. It was harsh on Cucurella, who had achieved little notably unsuitable aside from discover himself the odd man out in a system that wasn’t fairly working, and Chelsea improved markedly for the change, ending the primary half the stronger and being marginally the higher facet in a good second half. Innocent as Cucurella was, you continue to don’t actually wish to be the topic of a tactical substitution barely half-an-hour into the largest league sport you’ve performed in your first couple of months at a brand new membership.
13. Funnily sufficient, although, United’s clearest probability of the evening got here late in that first half after Chelsea’s tactical swap by way of a run from Antony down the kind of inside-right channel Cucurella may properly have coated off. However his shot together with his proper foot lacked conviction and was at all times slicing vast. He’s an intriguing and generally intoxicating participant is Antony, however to reiterate some extent we made after the Tottenham sport, he actually is sort of ludicrously one-footed for a participant carrying his price ticket and apparent monumental expertise.
14. We’ve got a rising suspicion that Lisandro Martinez goes to turn out to be one in every of our absolute favourites. We’ve been on his facet ever since everybody simply determined he was no good as a result of he wasn’t six-foot 4, and with every passing sport we develop ever fonder. He’s a splendidly Argentinian defender, a heady mixture of acute soccer intelligence, respectable technical expertise and a seemingly untameable propensity for wild but (primarily) efficient aggression. We’ve already put our title right down to cowl all Argentina video games on the World Cup within the hope of seeing him alongside the equally magnificently sturdy Cristian Romero at any stage.
In the present day, Martinez was one of the best defender on present in a sport between two groups who do and did defend properly for nearly the whole sport. His stats mirror every little thing about him. 5 tackles, an interception, a blocked shot, seven clearances and a yellow card. After which throwing himself deliriously into the travelling followers after Casemiro’s equaliser. Sure please.
15. And so it’s one other attract essentially the most drawn fixture in Premier League historical past. That’s seven of the final 10 between these two which have ended all sq., with the opposite three all going the best way of United. Ten video games is a protracted previous run for one Huge Sixer to have towards one other with out victory, particularly as United have been non-vintage for these 5 years. And this can be a draw that simply seems like either side barely letting Liverpool off the hook for his or her slip earlier within the day. A draw tomorrow between Tottenham and Newcastle – and let’s be trustworthy, that’s a completely possible end result – and everybody may have received away with every little thing.
16. Partly as a result of we will’t consider the rest however primarily as a result of it might probably’t go unremarked upon the ultimate phrase is on the absent Cristiano Ronaldo, in accordance with the prophecy. Extra particularly, Roy Keane’s completely mad defence of Cristiano Ronaldo on Sky Sports activities. Simply utter disingenuous absurdity. Not least as a result of Keane as a pundit is so keen on dismissing any and all reward for gamers with a dismissive “That’s their job” and now finds himself within the place of taking the facet of the one and solely participant fairly actually not doing his job.
We additionally loved his whole refusal to present any credit score to United for that win over Spurs as a result of “Spurs had been horrible” with out ever contemplating or conceiving of the chance that no less than a tiny a part of why Spurs had been so horrible was that United’s excellence made a staff that had gained seven of its 10 Premier League video games look that approach.