RON AND ONLY
Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1: Ronaldo rescues a point for drab United after Alonso volley but draw kills off faint top four hopes
IT SAYS everything about where Manchester United are that rescuing a point at home is seen as a minor triumph.
They are just thankful to have Cristiano Ronaldo to provide rare moments of joy in an otherwise miserable season.
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He hit a glorious 62nd minute volley in front of the Stretford End 119 seconds after Marcos Alonso had opened the scoring and honours somehow finished even.
Chelsea had dominated but been wasteful, while United clawed a result out of this disappointing contest.
There are two different sports in this City - the one played at The Etihad and the one the Red half have to witness here.
To be at this game and the 4-3 Champions League victory by Manchester City over Real Madrid on Tuesday was to be on two different footballing planets.
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The backdrops at both clubs are also at opposite ends of the scale – joy and gloom.
As with the last home game here against Norwich there were protests before kick off with fans marching down Sir Matt Busby Way and into the Munich Tunnel beneath the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.
There they stood chanting their ant-Glazer chants in front of a Directors Entrance shuttered up in preparation to avoid anyone getting in.
Letters spelling ‘GLAZERS OUT’ were unfurled above the tunnel as the teams came out.
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There were also hundreds of empty seats at kick-off but once filled the chants against the owners continued inside the ground.
Indeed they were the main chants from the Red Army while the visiting fans made it like a home game for them as they hailed their European and World Champions.
A side that looked totally at ease playing at Old Trafford as most sides do nowadays.
Even rock-bottom Norwich should have grabbed a point here last time out.
That was United’s only victory in their last six in all competitions prior to this.
Chelsea had suffered a blip of late with home defeats to Brentford and Arsenal but steadied their ship on it’s course back into the Champions League in third place by beating West Ham.
They will rue missing out on three points here but it will make little difference in the final reckoning.
They should really have led comfortably at halftime.
Interim boss Ralf Rangnick said recently the United needed "surgery of the heart" such was the state of it and it was Chelsea cutting them open last night right from the first whistle.
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Reece James stung the fingers of David De Gea with a long-range shot.
N’Golo Kante was left in acres of space on the edge of the box to have a free shot which he sent straight at the United goalkeeper.
Then when the visitors broke and Kante turned provider feeding Kai Havertz who should really have done better than fire into the side netting.
A golden opportunity presented itself on 27minutes when Thomas Tuchel’s side calved through the Red Devils again.
Jorginho to Kante who released Havertz one-on-one only for him to spurn another chance as he hit the advancing De Gea with his shot.
De Gea said before the game that he felt embarrassed by some of United’s performances this season.
He certainly wasn’t ringing ahead home to get the champagne on ice at the break last night.
The closest his side came to opening the scoring in the opening 45 minutes was a weak flick header from Bruno Fernandes and an acrobatic overhead kick from Ronaldo that was well off target.
A look at the team sheet should not have left any United fans surprised by the performance.
The team is ravaged by injuries to seven first-team players.
‘Not a good team’, said pundit and legendary skipper Roy Keane with the understatement of the night.
There is much work to be done by incoming boss Erik Ten Hag although credit United for the way they responded to Chelsea taking the lead on the hour.
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The opener came as the ball was swept out to the right-wing from where James cross was headed on by Havertz for the unmarked Marcos Alonso to drill a volley back across De Gea and into the far bottom corner.
However, when Ronaldo is in your team there is always hope and he quickly responded.
A rare loose pass from Kante gave possession away and Nemanja Matic was the provider as the former Chelsea player scooped a pass over the back four into the path of Ronaldo.
His technique in these situations is always spot on. Eyes on the ball, connection perfect, result a bulging net.
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Chelsea could have snatched it at the end but James 79th minute striker hit the woodwork with De Gea flatfooted.
Some much-needed good fortune for United.
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