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Tuchel chases Chelsea to let Man United escape the hook with a rough finish


LONDON — Chelsea spent last season looking for a clinical goal scorer to help maintain Premier League title challenge. Sunday Draw 1-1 against Manchester United will spark the fear they’re still looking for.

The answer seems to be Romelu Lukaku, signed in the summer from Inter Milan for 115 million euros – a high price justified by his immediate impact – but Belgium The striker, recovering from an ankle injury, played just the final eight minutes of this match, with Chelsea chasing a winner.

It’s both a sign that Lukaku isn’t quite as great yet, but the lack of urgency to introduce him is perhaps also a sign that manager Thomas Tuchel considers his side at least as strong as it is right now. without the former United striker, who has four goals in 12 appearances since joining the club.

But while Lukaku’s absence and lethargic form set the others up for promotion – Chelsea have had 17 different scorers in all competitions this season – it leaves tasks like switching territories and Owning a goal becomes more difficult without a sharp finisher at the front line. of the yard.

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United’s cautious approach makes this like a home test for a mid-table team that title challengers often pass, and it’s technically correct, given the recent setbacks. United made them sit in 10th place at the start.

As if to emphasize the point, Tuchel mentioned the same result against Burnley at the beginning of the month when the ruble missed an opportunity – “Did it drop two points? Yes, sure,” he said later – repeat what Liverpool (5-0) and City man (2-0) has been implemented in recent weeks and takes full advantage of United’s vulnerability.

Chelsea controlled the ball and registered 24 shots, but demanded one Jorginho penalty in the middle of the second half to find a way through David de Gea, the Italian midfielder removed his own error allowing Jadon Sancho to open the scoring five minutes into the second half.

United’s XG at halftime was 0.03, the definition of an attacking threat is almost non-existent, but with Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic Deployed in midfield for the first time since March 2020, they have been very effective in stopping Jorginho, whose distribution has been crucial in gaining early possession for attacking players. of Chelsea.

With Cristiano Ronaldo With only one alternative, United pressed the pitch with renewed vigor. While it is not always the case that teams are more proficient in the game, Chelsea lose the ball in such circumstances more times than Tuchel would have liked and that was the situation United scored. table.

After an attacking free-kick from Chelsea, too many blue shirts rose up when Bruno Fernandes hack delete a repeat clearance. Jorginho tried to keep the ball high but failed – Tuchel said he was then distracted by the headlights of Stamford Bridge – and suddenly Sancho crossed the goal.

Marcus Rashford race along and Sancho used his United and England good teammate, threatened the square long enough for Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy to shift his body weight to his right before Sancho’s simple shot from the opposite corner scored his first goal at Premier League.

Jorginho has a chance to redeem himself when Aaron Wan-Bissaka Thiago Silva clumsily kicked Thiago Silva’s foot in the box as United tried to deal with one of Chelsea’s 15 corners. The 29-year-old sent De Gea the wrong way with a trademark jump, skipping and side-to-foot; 13 of his 15 Premier League goals have been penalties, just two short of in his Chelsea career.

Tuchel turned Mason Mountain and Christian Pulisic to refresh Chelsea’s attack against Lukaku, though Timo Werner endure one of those other afternoons where you wonder how much patience is left for the mistake German.

Neither team had more than six of his shots, but neither shot on target and moreover, his lack of confidence at key moments could turn a tight game like this. . Werner has only recently returned from a hamstring injury but his lousiness was a long-standing problem ahead of this season.

“We still find that [Werner] hasn’t played in a long time, so can we expect him to be at his absolute peak? No, we can’t,” said Tuchel. Is it always like ‘what do you expect’ in this moment? He looks very sharp in practice. He has scored many goals in the last two training sessions; that’s why I gave my all and put him on the pitch and hoped he could hurt the two centre-backs. “

Antonio RudigerA late miss meant the points were shared, but while Chelsea remain top of the table – one point ahead of Man City and two points ahead of Liverpool – they have no player to score more than four goals. It’s an oddity that doesn’t feel compatible with a lingering push for the title; Tuchel had to develop an approach to make the most of Lukaku’s strengths.

United’s ambitions, by contrast, are more modest, but caretaker manager Michael Carrick, tasked with adding some organizational responsibility, the omission that ultimately made Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the start of the week, opted for a Crucial Champions League win and a well deserved point against opponents in the top six.

Incoming interim manager Ralf Rangnick was not in attendance here as he was awaiting a work permit before assuming responsibility until the end of the season, but his presence was felt. United’s backroom staff all wore headphones into the dugout, as the two screens in front of them displayed a longer-range tactical view of the game along with their sideline positions.

Carrick later asserted that it was “not the case” that Rangnick influenced the selection of the team, but that a change in tactics, style and personnel had occurred at least in part influenced by appearances. his.

Technical Director Darren Fletcher wears a white headset, different from the surrounding headsets. He seemed to relay messages throughout the game, when not engaging verbally with the Chelsea bench, namely Cesar Azpilicueta when Ruben Loftus-Cheek leave something on Eric Bailly in a late kick just before halftime.

United finished with just three shots, their lowest total conceded in a single game this season, but left Stamford Bridge with credit for displaying a basic form and discipline throughout an encounter. which many expect they will comfortably lose. Chelsea, meanwhile, were dropped to defeat in the final third game. It is a familiar story.

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