Chelsea Secure Important Win Against Manchester United in Champions League Chase

Chelsea moved closer to the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Friday night.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Marc Cucurella’s header in the 71st minute earned Chelsea all three points in a tough game. The Blues dominated possession but found it hard to break United‘s defense. Harry Maguire thought he scored for United, but VAR disallowed it. Chelsea also had a penalty decision turned over by VAR after it was confirmed United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana played the ball.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This victory came at the right time for Chelsea as they aim for next season’s Champions League. The win boosted their chances of finishing in the top four, with one match remaining. Pep Guardiola recently predicted the top-four race would go down to the last day, and Chelsea’s win puts them in a good spot. However, United’s poor domestic form continued. They are now winless in eight domestic games, and coach Ruben Amorim will need to fix that problem soon with their Europa League final against Tottenham coming up.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Chelsea will look to qualify for the Champions League on the Premier League‘s final day. A win over United will put them in a good position, but they will need to focus in their last match if they want to finish in the top four. United, on the other hand, will have one final test against Tottenham in Bilbao. They should now focus on the final, but ahead of the game, Amorim chose a strong starting XI to face Chelsea. While Amorim may rest key players in the final Premier League match, winning the competition is now imperative as United struggle domestically.