Chelsea go down 2-0 against United

Chelsea succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United in what appeared to be a difficult game on a difficult day at the end of a difficult week for Chelsea.

1st half

The match got off to a good start for United as Rooney warmed up Petr Cech's gloves with a curling shot in the 2nd minute.

Chelsea responded 6 minutes later with a great cross from Essien but Shevchenko was slow to react, the ball eventually fell to the feet of Malouda whose pass found Shevchenko but the Ukranian flashed his shot wide.

In the 30th minute Essien carelessly gave the ball away to Rooney with a weak clearance, Rooney whipped over a teasing cross to the far post for Giggs, who elects to shoot rather than head from a very tight angle and lifts it over the bar.


More than half an hour had passed when Avram Grant had his first major tactical adjustment to make as Jon Obi Mikel got himself into a challenge with Evra with his foot slightly raised, Evra wass caught and ref Mike Dean reached immediately for the red card. It looked a little harsh, but Mikel was off and the Blues were down to 10 men.

Despite being a man short, Chelsea continuedto play with more than one man up front, which wass adventurous but created a gap between midfield and attack. United meanwhile remain ed threatening down the right flank in particular.

But then, in first half injury time United took the lead .From a corner which, if successfully defended, would have seen Chelsea safely through to half-time, the ball was cleared to Schloles in a deep inside-right position. Scholes headed an intelligent first-time pass back out to Giggs on the right wing, and Giggs bend in a briliant cross with the outside of his right boot where Tevez beat Cech at the near post with a flying header. Chelsae must have thought everything is against them. That was the first United goal Tevez has scored, and he could not have timed it any better. Very well conceived and executed, but tough on Chelsea, especially coming so late in the half.

2nd half

The second half had a slow start and the bad weather could be blamed for it but on the 58th minute mark A beautiful ball over the top found Giggs roaring in from the left, but the Welshman volleyed it way over. Great idea, poor execution.

Shevchenko was taken off for Kalou and few minutes later Saha came in for Rooney.Sheva got off with a hand-shake from the coach. That's something he hasn't been used to since leaving Milan

Nearly 90 minutes and Tal Ben Haim stocked a leg out and caught substitute Louis Saha, and although the French striker madee a meal of it, it was a definite penalty. Saha dispatchers it himself, straight down the middle, and for the first time this season, United have a two-goal lead

There was two minutes of time added on as the referee finally blowed the whistle and fianlly put and end to Chelsea's misery.