Manchester United held Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge as they remain unbeaten under Michael Carrick.
Chelsea finished their crucial Premier League battle against Manchester United with a 1-1 draw on Sunday. The Blues dropped two points on home soil as their gap with Man City shrinks down to one point.
No Ronaldo in the starting XI!
Michael Carrick named Cristiano Ronaldo among his substitutes as he started Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes upfront.
This is the second time Ronaldo does not make it into the Man United lineup. On October 2, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer benched Ronaldo against Everton, with the match ending in a similar 1-1 draw.
Carrick was asked about his decision to exclude the Portuguese superstar.
“Cristiano is probably our standout name, but it’s just gameplan, ideas,” Carrick said before the kick-off.
“I had a good chat with Cristiano actually, he was great, and we’ve decided to go like that today. Really looking forward to the game.
“It’s a decision just to pick a team, to be honest. I don’t think it needs more drama than that.
“Everyone is fine, all the boys who have come out of the team have been terrific around the place, Cristiano included, fantastic with the boys, supporting them 100 per cent and ready to come on if and when needed.
“We’re happy with the team we’ve picked, for sure. We’ve come here to try and win the game, like we do every single game. “
Chelsea drop points at Stamford Bridge!
The game started as the Man United lineup suggested. The Red Devils sat back and let Chelsea have the possession while the Blues tried their luck to score.
The first half ended with a goalless draw. However, Manchester United punished the hosts for their careless attacking in the early stages of the second period.
Following a quick counter-attack, Jadon Sancho found himself in a one-on-one situation against Edouard Mendy. The English star scored his debut Premier League goal by smashing the ball into the back of the net.
Chelsea intensified their attacks after Sancho’s goal and scored the equalizer from the penalty spot in the 70th minute. Jorginho converted the penalty as he revived Chelsea’s hopes for a win. The Blues kept pushing for the match-winner, but they had no luck in getting past Man United’s defence.
Chelsea remain on top of the Premier League table with 30 points from their 13 games, while Man United stay in eighth place behind Tottenham.
Player Ratings
Chelsea: Mendy (6), Chalobah (6), Silva (7), Rudiger (6), James (6), Alonso (7), Jorginho (6), Loftus-Cheek (7), Ziyech (7), Hudson-Odoi (6), Werner (5).
Bench: Mount (6), Pulisic (6), Lukaku (6).
Manchester United: De Gea (7), Wan-Bissaka (7), Lindelof (6), Bailly (6), Telles (6), Fred (7), Matic (6), McTominay (6), Sancho (7), Fernandes (6), Rashford (6).
Bench: Lingard (5), Ronaldo (5), Van de Beek (6).
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