November 28, (THEWILL) – Ballon d’Or nominee Jorginho was both villain and hero for Chelsea against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in the late Sunday fixture, as he was at fault in the Blues going behind and then equalised to ensure Thomas Tuchel’s side earned something for their efforts.
Following a dominant first half in which Antonio Rudiger came closest to scoring with a 25-yard rocket that David de Gea pushed over the crossbar, the Italian midfielder allowed United the lead five minutes after the break.
Jorginho attempted to handle the ball on the halfway line after a corner was cleared, but his weak touch gifted the ball to Jaden Sancho, who raced in on goal before sliding a shot past Edouard Mendy.
The deployed forward line of Marcus Rashford and Sancho appeared to be a preview of the forward line that Ralf Rangnick, the new manager at Old Trafford, will wish to impose.
And for about 10 minutes after United scored, they appeared to be a lively force capable of contending with the European champions on an equal footing.
Still, Chelsea equalised midway through the half when Aaron Wan-Bissaka took down Thiago Silva in the box, and Jorginho scored from the penalty spot, sending the United goalkeeper the wrong way.
There were chances to get a winner on both sides especially after Romelu Lukaku returned to the turf as a substitute and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also began the game on the bench, was introduced in place of the United goal-scorer four minutes after the hour mark. Yet, there were no further goals untill the final whistle and the two sides shared the spoils.
It was a better result for the Red Devils after their most recent displays. And much of their finest play came as a result of forwards Rashford and Sancho’s tenacious running with their team in and out of possession, most notably with the goal as they placed Jorginho under pressure and took advantage of his blunder.
Mason Greenwood will also be able to play this part. When he is fit, Edison Cavani will, too. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, is a completely other issue. This was demonstrated by his lack of willingness to pursue Christian Pulisic that almost resulted in a last gasp Chelsea goal.
It will be interesting to watch how Rangnick handles this in his matchday squad selection when the German manager takes over.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
