Cristiano Ronaldo’s fifth purpose in three video games salvaged a degree for Manchester United in a 1-1 draw towards Chelsea on Thursday that additional broken his crew’s probabilities of a top-four end within the Premier League.
Ronaldo ran onto a ball over the Chelsea protection from Nemanja Matic and delivered a medical end within the 62nd minute, two minutes after Marcos Alonso gave the guests the lead.
Reece James later curled a shot towards the publish for Chelsea, which dominated the primary half however discovered United goalkeeper David de Gea in high quality kind.
With solely three video games left to play within the league, United stayed in sixth place _ 5 factors behind fourth-place Arsenal and having performed two matches greater than its rival for Champions League qualification.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, heart, celebrates together with his teammates Nemanja Matic, left and Bruno Fernandes after scoring his facet’s first purpose in the course of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Chelsea, at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Thursday, April, 2022. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Tottenham is between the 2 groups, within the fifth spot, with three extra factors than United and two video games in hand.
Chelsea consolidated third place and is six factors above Arsenal.
Ronaldo got here into the sport having scored a hat trick towards Norwich and one other purpose towards Arsenal in his earlier two video games.
On 17 targets, Ronaldo is tied with Son Heung-min in second place within the Premier League scoring chart behind Mohamed Salah.
“Not only the goal Cristiano scored but his whole performance, his attitude at age of 37, this is not normal to do that,“ interim United manager Ralf Rangnick said. “If he plays like he did today he can still be a big help to this team.”
The buildup was dominated by reviews that Rangnick was contemplating taking up as Austria’s nationwide crew coach in addition to extra protests towards the Glazer household’s possession.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his facet’s first purpose on Thursday. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Some protesters entered Old Trafford within the seventeenth minute, having missed a minute for every of the Glazers’ 17 years in cost.
“Glazers out” learn a banner above the tunnel earlier than kickoff at Old Trafford, the place a mix of De Gea’s saves and poor-decision making meant Chelsea failed to show their 11 photographs right into a deserved halftime lead.
Thomas Tuchel’s crew lastly broke the impasse when Alonso volleyed residence following Kai Havertz’s flick-on however Chelsea was unable to construct on that.
United defender Victor Lindelof noticed a stoppage-time header denied and the spotlight of the closing levels was the introduction of 17-year-old expertise Alejandro Garnacho for his United debut.
“One crew deserved to win and that was us,“ Tuchel stated. “We didn’t take it. It was a really, superb efficiency however we weren’t decisive sufficient. We lacked a little bit of willpower within the field to win the sport.
“It typically occurs. It’s on us to be taught from it. You have to be medical to get the reward. We should dwell with a degree but it surely’s not a good consequence.“
