Chelsea: Three lessons learnt from more dropped points to United

Chelsea’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel looks on during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London on November 28, 2021. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Chelsea was held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United as the league leaders see their lead at the top of the table reduced to just a solitary point. Incredibly wasteful in front of goal, Jorginho’s careless touch early in the second half would ultimately prove a costly error for his team. Here are the lessons learnt from Chelsea 1, Manchester United 1.

Manchester United, Chelsea’s voodoo team?

Here is an interesting statistic, the last time Chelsea won against Manchester United in the league was back in November 2017, when Alvaro Morata powered in a header 55 minutes into the match to give Chelsea a 1-0 victory. In the time since, there was the disappointing 2-1 loss away to Old Trafford in the reverse leg of the 17/18 season, the chastening 4-0 loss on the opening day of the 19/20 season, and the underwhelming pair of goalless draws last season. It would seem that Chelsea somehow struggles to turn up home, or away, against the Red Devils.

Against a Manchester United side that was still in limbo, caught between the loss of their previous manager and the imminent appointment of the next man-in-charge, the Blues once again failed to put in a convincing performance to maintain their lead at the top of the league. It was very much a match of “what could and should have been” as Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger were all guilty of missing massive chances to give Chelsea the lead. Perhaps the most unforgivable moment of the match, however, came down to a moment of poor judgement from Jorginho. As the last man back from a Chelsea set-piece, it is puzzling as to why the Italian midfielder tried to bring a difficult ball under control when simply clearing it would have proven to be the wiser option of the two.

At the end of the day, as Chelsea continues their hunt for their first Premier League title in 5 years, it is fleeting moments like these that could ultimately prove to be their undoing. In the meantime, Thomas Tuchel’s men have to lick their wounds, get up and go again. After all, no league title has ever been won by individuals who stop and feel sorry for themselves.