The prospect of entering the last day of the season outside the top five began to flow on the Chelsea fans when Reece James received the ball at the forefront of the Manchester United penalty box.
There were less than 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and the hopes of the Champions League qualification were increasingly precarious, with Rival Aston Villa already within the winners against a Tottenham reserve team.
But James showed the kind of freshness that great players do in situations like this to turn the situation.
By taking a pass of Pedro Neto on the right, he deceived Alejandro Garnacho and turned inside the replacement United before floating a beautiful cross to the edge of the six yards box.
Marc Cucurella had read him and already dimensioned his head, guiding the ball of this vadrouille of curly hair beyond André Onana in the most distant corner.
So Chelsea will go to Nottingham Forest a week tomorrow on the last day of the season, for what could be a royal battle at the City Ground, in the fifth and with the chance to guarantee this precious Champions League.
The head of Marc Cucurella’s second half gave Chelsea a 1-0 crucial victory on Man United
Cucurella increased the highest to nod the head of the Reece James Cross while Chelsea has become fourth in the table
The blues needed this victory as they fight to qualify for the Champions League next season
United could still join them among the European elite, even if an 18th defeat of a miserable Premier League season left them in 16th place, separated from the relegation zone by the Spurs, their opponents in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening.
Since January 1990, United has experienced eight games without victory in the league like this. They did a good blow in a game that was not well below the crazy 4-3 here last season, but as we have known for a long time, it’s Bilbao or Bust.
Unlike Ange Postcoglou, Ruben Amorim has appointed a solid programming that could be the one he calls against the Spurs in Bilbao.
“We have five days to prepare for the final,” said the united boss before kick -off, after warning his team that they played for their place in San Mames.
“We focus on this game and sometimes the best way to prepare for a final is to compete.”
Of the three modifications made by Enzo Maresca, the only applied saw the teenager Tyrique George directing the attack in the absence of the suspended Nicolas Jackson after his red card last week in the defeat in Newcastle.
Chelsea first threatened when Cole Palmer implemented Noni Madueke after Moises Caicedo broke out halfway, although he was probably offside.
Madueke has caused many problems to United on their right and it was from one of his crosses that James rocked the post with a blockbuster stroke.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe looked that United lost his 18th Premier League match this season
Harry Maguire earlier had an excluded goal for offside via the tightest calls after a Var review
Chelsea also thought they had won a penalty when Tyrique George fell into the box
Chelsea’s n ° 11 was again the architect in time of end of the first half when the palmer efforts were blocked by Mason Mount and that ONANA had to scratch the air ball while he was heading towards the upper corner. The loose ball fell for Enzo Fernandez, who flambé and was relieved to be offside.
United played with the effort and intensity of a team that had taken the head coach’s warning seriously.
They had the ball in the net in the 16th minute when Bruno Fernandes chose Harry Maguire who had moved from Tosin Adarabioyo to beat Robert Sanchez with a superb first finish, but a Var check showed that it was closely offside.
Mount, each touch of whom was hooked by the Chelsea fans when he returned to Stamford Bridge, had the view of the goal shortly after, but hurt badly – to the delight of his executioners who immediately burst into a choir of “ Chelsea ” rejecting ‘, which felt a little rough consideration, he won the Champions League here and Sterling when he left for United in 2023.
Mount was again excluding target in the early stages of the second half after Amad Diallo slipped a pass inside the box.
But Fans of Chelsea became more and more agitated while the new filtered through this villa were two on the Spurs, and even more when Diallo made fire in Fernandes to shoot shortly after.
Chelsea thought they had a penalty at a time when referee Chris Kavanagh stressed the place after Onana rushed to her goal and upset George, but the Var official, Craig Pawson, intervened again.
The referee was sent to the instructor on the pitch side to show Onana had clearly had a touch on the ball first, and overthrew her decision.
Diallo was reserved to have fallen in order to win a penalty at the other end before that Morim does not bring his first changes of the night, sending Manuel Ugarte and Garnacho for Casemiro and Mount who came out in another Boos chorus.
But after another Var review, Chris Kavanagh said George had not been the victim of a fault
The product of the Chelsea Academy Mason Mount received a hostile reception on his return to the club
Enzo MARESCA supervised a victory for his team on what was a night tight at Stamford Bridge
Garnacho had only been on the ground for a few seconds when Chelsea has marked and may have been caught cold by James.
Madueke had an excellent opportunity to do it two moments later when she was cleaned in order, but drew widely.
Diallo almost made him pay when he broke down right and cut inside before forcing a nice reflex backup from Sanchez.
Picked more relief around Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will go into the forest with their destiny in hand.
