Marc Cucurella scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season to seal a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, boosting the home side’s Champions League aspirations with just one match left to play.
Looking to build momentum ahead of the Europa League final, Man United thought they had got off to the perfect start when Harrry Maguire tucked the ball home in the opening stages before his effort was ruled out for an offside.
After being given a reprieve, Chelsea nearly put their noses in front when Reece James drove a fierce strike against the frame of Andre Onana’s goal.
The Man United goalkeeper was left protesting his innocence just after his challenge on Tyrique George initially resulted in a penalty, before referee Chris Kavanagh overturned his decision following a VAR review, ruling that the Chelsea attacker went to ground prior to any contact with Onana.
As it proved, Chelsea did not need a penalty to find the all-important breakthrough, as Cucurella ultimately found the all-important breakthrough in the 71st minute, powering a header home from James’ cross to clinch all three points and condemn Man United to a sixth defeat in eight Premier League matches.
As a result of the win, Enzo Maresca’s side move up to fourth place in the Premier League table, while Man United are left languishing in 16th place following their 18th league defeat of the season.
For a large portion of the contest, it looked as though Chelsea would experience frustration and drop crucial points in the race for a top-five finish.
However, James and Cucurella ultimately combined to produce the game’s defining moment, and while the winner may not cover up for an underwhelming performance, the Blues will only care about the result at this stage of the season.
As for the visitors, Ruben Amorim will be disappointed that his side missed the opportunity to build any momentum and confidence ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Apart from Maguire’s disallowed goal, their was little to write home about for the Red Devils, and they never looked like pulling level once Chelsea found the breakthrough.
In the other game, Aston Villa secured a vital three points with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Friday night, May 16, keeping their hopes of Champions League qualification alive heading into the final day of the season.
Aston Villa were in complete control of the first half, dominating with 72% possession and taking eight shots to their opponents’ two, but despite their superiority, the hosts were unable to find the breakthrough as the scores remained level at the break.
Frustrations were growing as Aston Villa were repeatedly denied an opener, but the wait ended on the hour mark when Ezri Konsa broke the deadlock, and just 13 minutes later, Boubacar Kamara added a second to calm the nerves at Villa Park, and the hosts comfortably held out to ensure all three points.
It was clear that Tottenham Hotspur’s focus was elsewhere, with their attention firmly on the upcoming Europa League final, reflected in a flurry of changes due to rotation and injuries.
That certainly disrupted any rhythm Spurs might have had if a full-strength 11 had been named, and the Villans comfortably controlled the match and thoroughly deserved their victory.
The three points keeps Aston Villa’s top-five hopes alive, but a win on the final day against Manchester United is still likely to be needed to confirm Champions League qualification, meaning the job is far from over.
