For the seventh time in a row, Chelsea win by a single goal. For the fourth consecutive match, they didn’t play particularly well but did enough to grind out the result - it may not be particularly pretty, but they won’t care.
A moment of class from Oscar and Eden Hazard was enough to win them all three points. They need six more to win the league and have six matches in which to get them. It’s all over and their players know it. They’re celebrating as if they’ve won the league already. This was a big win for them and they handled Manchester United admirably.
Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic celebrate after victory. Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty
90+5 min: Ander Herrera gets booked for diving after throwing himself over a “challenge” from Gary Cahill, while sticking his own leg in an attempt to hook it around the Chelsea defender’s leg. Some genuine class from players on both teams in the past couple of minutes.
90+3 min:Chelsea substitution: Eden Hazard off, Willian on. By an amazing coincidence, he also has to walk from the far side of the field. Referee Mike Dean urges him to “jog”.
90+2 min:Chelsea substitution: Cesc Fabregas off and he makes the long walk from the far touchline. John Obi Mikel on. Chelsea have Willian ready to come on, but they’ll bide their time to make that if there’s another stoppage.
89 min: Sky co-commentator Gary Neville anoints the forehead of Eden Hazard with his Barclay’s man of the match ointment. It’s the obvious choice, although I was impressed with the efforts of Luke Shaw too.
87 min: United plug on, rolling their metaphorical boulder up the metaphorical Stamford Bridge hill. Can they nick a point? Falcao tries an effort from long range, but John Terry throws himself in front of the ball, taking one for the team.
86 min:Chelsea win a free-kick wide on the right, which Fabregas curls into the United penalty area. Aiming for Drogba at the far post, his delivery is headed clear by Fellaini.
83 min: Finally, one player picks out another with a corner kick. I think it was Di Maria who took it, finding Wayne Rooney on the edge of the six yard box. The United skipper couldn’t keep his header down and sends it over the bar.
Louis van Gaal watches the action from the bench. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty
81 min: Valencia plays the ball to Fellaini with his back to goal on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area. He lays it off to Rooney, who plays it wide to Di Maria. Probe. Probe. Probe. Probe. Nothing. Barring a moment or two of genius, you get the impression that Chelsea will comfortably defend against this all night if they have to. Thibaut Courtois hasn’t had to make a save that I can remember in this second half. He wasn’t kept too busy in the first 45 minutes either.
77 min: From the left flank,Shaw plays the ball into Di Maria who’d made a run into the left side of the Chelsea penalty area. He proceeds to run down a blind alley, where he is mugged by Nemanja Matic, among others. Di Maria goes to ground, but neither appeals for a spot-kick nor gets one.
75 min: With Chelsea defending deep and Manchester United’s fresh injection of pace on either flank, Manchester United are looking a lot more lively, but still not troubling Courtois. Falcao shoots wide of the upright from a tight angle after being played into the Rizla-sized rectangle of space behind Chelsea’s defence.
73 min: Good lord. You’ll remember my little rant about the risible efforts of various players when it comes to taking corners and free-kicks. Now Branislav Ivanovic gets penalised for a foul throw. A foul throw!
71 min: From about 10 yards out, Falcao gets on the end of a cross from the right and makes good contact, only for Gary Cahill to stick out a foot and divert the ball from its trajectory towards the near post.
Kurt Zouma battles in midfield with Marouane Fellaini. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty
69 min: Manchester United double substitution: Juan Mata and Ashley Young off, Adnan Januzaj and Angel Di Maria on. Januzaj takes up position on the right flank, while his team-mate goes on the left, where Angels generally fear to tread.
65 min: Ashley Young takes the corner, standing for an eternity before doing so with both hands in the air. Apparently this is the signal for: out-swinger tothe edge of the penalty area, where no player from either side is standing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the quality of dead-ball delivery in this match has been appalling. It’s truly astonishing how bad these highly trained top flight professionals are at taking corners and free-kicks.
63 min: Shaw clips the ball across the Chelsea penalty area to Fellaini, who traps it on his velcro chest and lays it off to Wayne Rooney. His low drive from the edge of the penalty area is deflected out for a corner.
60 min: Paddy McNair tries his luck with another long range effort that dips in the air and brings a smart save out of Courtois. The ball doesn’t break kindly for Falcao, but finds its way to Luke Shaw, who picks out Juan Mata. He heads wide.
59 min: Almost at the hour mark and Manchester United have yet to create a chance of note in this second half. They’re pressing and probing, but Chelsea are back in numbers, much as you’d expect.
57 min: Ivanovic gets booked for a foul on Luke Shaw. He joins Didier Drogba in the referee’s notebook. He had his name taken for a foul on Paddy McNair shortly before nearly-but-not-quite-scoring.
Hazard is consoled by the Chelsea faithful after that missed opportunity. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Reuters
54 min: With Chelsea on another counter-attack after Ander Herrera gave away the ball just inside the Chelsea half, the ball is played long towards Didier Drogba. He just about manages to beat Paddy McNair to the bouncing ball and tries to lift it over De Gea and into the goal, with Chris Smalling charging back to try to put him off. The ball loops over De Gea, but bounces just short of the foot of the far upright. Up in support, Hazard attempts to karate kick it into the gaping goal, but can only hit the cross-bar. That goal was gaping. Gaping.
Eden Hazard hits the bar with the goal gaping. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images/Reuters
52 min: Eden Hazard isn’t demonstrating much of it, mind. He’s the stand-out player on the pitch by a considerable margin. He gallops forward and picks out Cesc Fabregas with a wonderful pass. The Spaniard wins a corner, from which nothing comes.
49 min: Attempting to make a run into space, Antonio Valencia runs straight into Didier Drogba’s back, bounces off him and falls over holding his face. Didier Drogba turns around and gives him a hand up. This is bordering on comical, such is some of the ineptitude on show.
48 min: Oscar tackles Luke Shaw to concede a Manchester United throw-in deep in Chelsea territory. Seconds later, Eden Hazard is galloping up the field on a counter-attack. Nothing comes of it. Less than inspirational, this.
48 min: Valencia gets on the ball on the right flank, plays it inside and continues his run into the Chelsea half. The hosts regain possession courtesy of Juan Mata.
Without playing particularly well, Chelsea adjourn to the dressing room behind on possession stats, but leading with the only stat that matters. Their players will be delighted, Manchester United’s seething but confident of turning things around in the second half. Eden Hazard has given the hosts the lead with the kind of finish we’ve come to expect him to score in his sleep.
45 min: Manchester United win a corner, their first on the right, I think. Juan Mata floats the ball into the area, where Courtois grabs it under little or no pressure.
42 min: It’s getting tasty between John Terry and Radamel Falcao. Showing the kind of macho spirit that was conspicuously absent in the build-up to the goal, Falcao shoves the Chelsea at a throw-in, knocking him to the ground. Seconds later, Terry returns the favour with interest, clattering into the Colombian’s back to win a high ball. Falcao complains to the referee, who tells him to get on with the game.
40 min: That was a splendid goal by Chelsea, which originated when Radamel Falcao meekly allowed himself to be dispossessed by John Terry. He gave the ball to Fabregas, who played it forward to Oscar, whereupon the Brazilian played the ball through the inside-left to Hazard with a wonderful backheel.
Hazard slots the ball past De Gea after a fine move. Photograph: BPI/Rex/Shutterstock
Nuts! Eden Hazard slots a diagonal shot through David De Gea’s legs and into the back of the net after being played in behind the United defence to latch on to a beautifully weighted pass from Oscar.
Eden Hazard celebrates scoring the opener from a Hazard pass. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
36 min: With Chelsea on a counter-attack, David De Gea charges towards the edge of his penalty area to intercept a long ball from Fabregas to Hazard. He handles the ball outside his area, but no free-kick for Chelsea is forthcoming.
35 min: Manchester United win a free-kick about 40 metres from the Chelsea goal. Ashley Young attempts to send the ball into the mixer, but fails to clear the first man. [Minute-by-minute reporter throws his hands in the air in frustration].
33 min: With his back to goal on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area, Ashley Young expertly kills a pass sent whizzing his way from midfield and plays it wide to Luke shaw on the touchline. The cross comes in and Chelsea clear.
31 min: Ander Herrera gets fouled by Didier Drogba just outside his own penalty area and goes down screaming in agony. Incredibly, he’s perfectly fit to continue 30 seconds or so later, after the pair exchange a hadshake and Mike Dean gives the Ivorian a ticking-off.
Didier Drogba vies for the ball with Manchester United’s Ander Herrera. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
