No surrender as Reds roar back
The result leaves United two points behind Manchester City at the top of the table but after two penalties from Wayne Rooney and an equaliser from Javier Hernandez it will feel more like a victory for the champions this morning; and you cannot imagine it went down well in the Mancini household given the help his rivals were given by referee Howard Webb.
In fact, the game at Stamford Bridge was so remarkable that it is hard to know where to start. Those in search of controversy will want to begin with the performance of Webb who awarded two soft penalties to spark United’s revival; fans in Manchester will highlight the influence of two-goal Rooney on a spirited and defiant display; and those in west London may well want to know why their team, once renowned for seeing out results, is no longer able to do so — even from 3-0 ahead.
Certainly if Villas-Boas was hoping to shake off rumours that the Special One wants his job next season following reports in midweek that Mourinho is ready to leave Real Madrid in the summer and is already angling for a return ‘home’, this was the time to do it; but instead, following a highly ‘un-Mourinho-like’ performance he was left to reflect on yet another frustrating result that could have been season-changing but in the end leaves his side now 14 points behind the leaders.
It could have been so, so different. Chelsea had survived a disjointed first half display, perhaps inevitable given the absence of John Terry, Frank Lampard (both injured) and Didier Drogba (away at the Africa Cup of Nations), to lead 1-0 at the break following a rare attack in which Daniel Sturridge slalomed his way into the United area and saw his cut-back strike defender Johnny Evans to end up in the net.
They then scored the goal of the match when Juan Mata spectacularly volleyed a deep cross from the otherwise anonymous Fernando Torres high into the net — before astonishingly going 3-0 up when David Luiz headed home, off Rio Ferdinand’s shoulder, in the 50th minute.
It should have proved a major turning point in a difficult season for Chelsea and a key moment in the title race too; but instead United showed all their resilience and passion of old to stage a comeback that ranks right up there with some of the greats of the past. And Chelsea showed all their recent faults and lack of self confidence to be trampled over in the process.
In fairness, United were ably assisted by referee Webb who had bizarrely refused them a penalty in the first half when Gary Cahill, making his Chelsea debut, tripped Danny Welbeck but somehow escaped punishment — clearly blowing out his cheeks in relief as Webb waved away protests.
Perhaps the official felt he needed to even things up in the second half because he proceeded to offer United two highly generous decisions after the break, beginning with a slight tap on Patrice Evra’s ankles by Sturridge and continuing, even more bizarrely, with a penalty given for a ghost tackle by Branislav Ivanovic on Welbeck. Rooney converted both and then produced a snap-shot that was saved by Petr Cech — only for Ryan Giggs to cross the ball back in for substitute Javier Hernandez to make it 3-3.
There was an air of inevitability about it all and the only surprise was that Ferguson’s men didn’t go on to take three points (in fact they needed goalkeeper De Gea to make two stunning late saves from Mata and Cahill to keep the scores level); but even so this was a statement that United will not allow the status quo to be upset as easily as City might hope — and they will not allow their title be taken away without a battle.
City manager Roberto Mancini may also wonder if it proves United’s influence on officials (even those regarded as the very best in the game) remains as strong as their hold on the Premier League trophy itself. Chelsea, by contrast, seem to have lost their grip on both — and it may all be slipping away for Villas-Boas too.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas blamed referee Howard Webb for his team’s collapse against Manchester United, citing the second of two controversial penalty decisions as the reason they went from 3-0 down to 3-3.
The Portuguese appeared to make a personal attack on Webb, who denied United a clear penalty for a challenge by Gary Cahill on Danny Welbeck in the first-half but clearly made up for it later in the match, giving spot-kicks for challenges by Daniel Sturridge on Patrice Evra when Chelsea were three-up and then for Branislav Ivanovic on Welbeck.
Villas-Boas said: “The first one is an obvious penalty, nothing to say. The second is very, very dubious. I don’t know if Howard Webb had the correct angle to make the decision, but it was unlucky from him to give it.
“We expect, in top games, top refs and, at the moment, it hasn’t been happening for us.”
United manager Alex Ferguson was adamant his side deserved their spot-kicks, saying: “We had two penalties in the second-half which were justified. I think we could have had four penalties.”
And he also felt Chelsea’s Gary Cahill should have been sent off for tripping Welbeck after 10 minutes — a penalty that was never given.
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