Reaction: Chelsea FC 1-1 Manchester United
Chelsea FC salvaged a 1-1 draw with rivals Manchester United at Stamford Bridge thanks to a late Diego Costa strike.
Chelsea FC hosted Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in a matchup between two clubs struggling compared to recent years past. Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal has been listless at times, providing the less than sparkling football that the fans at Old Trafford have become used to. Meanwhile in London, Chelsea struggled to start the season under Jose Mourinho and have continued to struggle at times under Guus Hiddink, although they are unbeaten under the Dutchman and have escaped the relegation zone.
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Today’s match pitted the two former Netherlands manager against each other, something that has happened before of course. The two, despite being countryman and former leaders of their national side, have very different philosophies on football.
United’s Van Gaal is the ultimate control freak, demanding precision and constant attention to the details of his system. Every player is made to fit the system, rather than changing the system to fit his players. It is a dogmatic, heavy handed approach to managing (and some would say very similar to former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, rumored to be succeeding Van Gaal at Old Trafford).
Guus Hiddink, however, is a much more relaxed manager. His style of managing focuses on adapting to each games situation and problems, and making adjustments to his strategy based on the team he has available to him.
Therefore, this game was supposed to be a clashing of systems, with the dramatic, physical United facing the supposedly free-flowing Chelsea, and yet for the first 15-20 minutes of the match the visitors were the creative, incisive side. Chelsea could not control the ball, could barely connect 2 passes together, and spent a large portion of the early minutes pinned into their own half. United looked free to create chances at will, and the antics of Chelsea keeper Thibault Courtois alone seemed to keep the two sides equal.
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Following an injury to Kurt Zouma, Gary Cahill came on for Chelsea, and in the defensive readjustment period, the Blues conceded through a brilliant goal by United’s Jesse Lingard. United seemed set to capture the 3 points at Stamford Bridge, until Chelsea’s Diego Costa snagged his 7th goal under Guus Hiddink in the first minute of stoppage time, sending the home crowd home happy.
Overall, Chelsea showed some good fight to come back and secure the points, and its reassuring that Diego Costa is remaining in good form, but the opening 20 minutes was troubling for Chelsea supporters. Guus Hiddink’s side could not control the ball, could not connect with each other, and routinely sent balls well out of range or directly to the opposing players.
For Chelsea to keep moving up the table and progress in their remaining cup competitions, the Dutchman will have to find a way to keep the defensive unit solid while allowing the midfield and forwards time on the ball to create chances. The re-introduction of Eden Hazard after halftime seemed to help Chelsea as well, so supporters should hope and expect to see the young Belgian back into the starting lineup soon as he appears to have recovered from his injury.
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Chelsea supporters will take some solace in denying United the extra two points, but are also aware that the away team should have captured the full 3. In this wild Premier League season, Chelsea will have to be content that the breaks went their way today, and hope for better results next time out.