Chelsea gives Red Devils the ‘Blues’
2 Nov 2012 6:59 AM IST
Daniel Sturridge and Ramires struck in extra time as Chelsea avenged their controversial weekend loss to Manchester United with a breathless 5-4 win to reach the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
But it took Eden Hazard’s penalty in the final seconds of normal time at Stamford Bridge to save the Blues from falling to a second successive 3-2 defeat at the hands of Alex Ferguson’s side.
There were fewer contentious decisions than in the previous meeting, but referee Lee Mason was still the focus of attention, awarding three penalties and correctly judging that Gary Cahill’s 52nd-minute header crossed the line.
United led three times in the tie through Ryan Giggs, Nani, and Javier Hernandez and were pegged back by a David Luiz penalty and Cahill’s header, before Hazard produced a third equaliser.
Chelsea then took control in extra time, with Sturridge and Ramires each rounding Anders Lindegaard to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage and Giggs’ 120th-minute spot-kick coming too late to kick-start a United revival. Any meeting between these two teams carries with it an extra edge and the tension was intensified in the wake of United’s league win.
Chelsea made six changes and United 10, yet while the personnel had changed significantly from the previous meeting, the intensity of the game was unchanged.
United made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute as they capitalised on the first of Chelsea’s costly defensive mistakes.
Petr Cech rolled a goal-kick out to Oriol Romeu on the edge of his area, where the Spaniard was quickly pressured by Anderson and Giggs, and when the ball broke, Giggs stroked home for his first goal since February.
Chelsea responded quickly and were level nine minutes later when Luiz converted from the spot after Victor Moses had been tripped by Alexander Buttner.
Both sides were creating chances although it was the Chelsea defence that looked the more vulnerable against the pace and movement of United forwards.
And they were guilty of once again creating problems for themselves when Luiz gifted United the chance to restore their lead in the 43rd minute.
Chelsea responded impressively but their chance appeared to have gone until Scott Wootton barged into Ramires as the Brazilian was about to shoot, handing Hazard the chance to level in last 30 seconds of match time and setting up a dramatic denouement.
But it took Eden Hazard’s penalty in the final seconds of normal time at Stamford Bridge to save the Blues from falling to a second successive 3-2 defeat at the hands of Alex Ferguson’s side.
There were fewer contentious decisions than in the previous meeting, but referee Lee Mason was still the focus of attention, awarding three penalties and correctly judging that Gary Cahill’s 52nd-minute header crossed the line.
United led three times in the tie through Ryan Giggs, Nani, and Javier Hernandez and were pegged back by a David Luiz penalty and Cahill’s header, before Hazard produced a third equaliser.
Chelsea then took control in extra time, with Sturridge and Ramires each rounding Anders Lindegaard to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage and Giggs’ 120th-minute spot-kick coming too late to kick-start a United revival. Any meeting between these two teams carries with it an extra edge and the tension was intensified in the wake of United’s league win.
Chelsea made six changes and United 10, yet while the personnel had changed significantly from the previous meeting, the intensity of the game was unchanged.
United made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute as they capitalised on the first of Chelsea’s costly defensive mistakes.
Petr Cech rolled a goal-kick out to Oriol Romeu on the edge of his area, where the Spaniard was quickly pressured by Anderson and Giggs, and when the ball broke, Giggs stroked home for his first goal since February.
Chelsea responded quickly and were level nine minutes later when Luiz converted from the spot after Victor Moses had been tripped by Alexander Buttner.
Both sides were creating chances although it was the Chelsea defence that looked the more vulnerable against the pace and movement of United forwards.
And they were guilty of once again creating problems for themselves when Luiz gifted United the chance to restore their lead in the 43rd minute.
Chelsea responded impressively but their chance appeared to have gone until Scott Wootton barged into Ramires as the Brazilian was about to shoot, handing Hazard the chance to level in last 30 seconds of match time and setting up a dramatic denouement.
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