5 Things Learned: Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd | Premier League

Casemiro scored a stoppage time equaliser as Manchester United cancelled out Jorginho’s late penalty to earn a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Jorginho’s penalty three minutes from time wasn’t enough as Casemiro scored seven minutes later to ensure the sides played out another draw with each other.

It was a fast start at Stamford Bridge for Man Utd. They took control and were causing Chelsea problems, who were getting exposed in the midfield. Kepa Arrizabalaga continued to be tested but held firm, saving from Marcus Rashford twice as well as Antony early on.

Graham Potter saw enough nine minutes before half-time, replacing Marc Cucurella with Mateo Kovacic to regain some control as the hosts switched to a four-back system. The change worked, but it was United who had the clearest chance in the first half.

Antony created a chance for himself just before the interval but flashed his effort wide of Kepa’s goal, wasting a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead in west London.

Kepa Arrizabalaga reacting during Chelsea vs Manchester United. (Alamy)

The end products of both sides were poor on Saturday evening. Both managers made respective changes in search of claiming all three points in west London, with Chelsea going closest 17 minutes from time. A corner was whipped in but Trevoh Chalobah could only direct his header onto the crossbar.

But in the closing minutes, Chelsea broke the deadlock. Armando Broja was pulled down in the box by Scott McTominay. Jorginho stepped up with three minutes to, sending David de Gea the wrong way to give Chelsea the lead.

But Chelsea couldn’t hold on. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Casemiro’s header was too good for Kepa Arrizabalaga and edged over the line to steal a last-minute point.

Here are five things Absolute Chelsea learned from Saturday’s draw in the capital.

1) Graham Potter isn’t afraid to make big decisions

Considering the job of Chelsea manager was by far the biggest job in his management career, Graham Potter appears not to be fearful of upsetting his new players with decisions made. After 36 minutes, and with a system that wasn’t working, Potter substituted Marc Cucurella for Mateo Kovacic. He also tweaked the system to bolster the midfield. After this decision, Chelsea looked sharper and looked more threatening going forward after the change. This shows that Potter isn’t afraid to change something when it isn’t working, unlike previous Chelsea managers.

2) Reece James is a big miss

Cesar Azpilicueta has been a brilliant servant to Chelsea football club, but as a right wing back, his services are now clearly inferior compared to Reece James. James, who faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup, is a massive influence on the team going forward, as well as in defence. There is an argument to suggest that he was Chelsea’s best player before his unfortunate injury against AC Milan. As well as this, Chelsea don’t look as threatening going forward, and look less solid with James’ protection on the right. Azpilicueta no longer has the pace to consistently aid The Blues attacking threat, and is no longer the most mobile defensively.

3) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs better service

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was forced to create chances for himself for the most part on Saturday evening, often finding himself out wide during attacking situations. Ben Chilwell found him once in the box, but Aubameyang couldn’t bring the ball down in time to trouble David De Gea. Raheem Sterling tried to play the Gabon international in soon after, but Sterling’s ball was poor, and led to Aubameyang not getting a shot on goal. To utilise his strengths, Chelsea need to play with pace, and not leave him isolated out wide during potential goalscoring situations. He may not have the blistering pace he had during his Arsenal days, but he can still be a huge asset to Chelsea if played correctly.

Chelsea's Jorginho (front) and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. (Alamy)

4) Ball needs to be moved quicker

Despite the late winner from Jorginho from the penalty spot, there were plenty of situations where Chelsea’s play was too predictable. Man United’s defence seemed unsettled when faced with pace, shown in previous games against Manchester City and Arsenal. Moving the ball quicker on the floor would have potentially created more opportunities, and playing Sterling and Aubameyang into space so they could use their speed on the ball, may have led to more goal scoring opportunities, rather than a few half chances from open play.

5) More points dropped

A game of fine margins seemed like it was going to be decided by a big moment. This game had two. Jorginho’s penalty looked as if it was going to be the winner, until Casemiro popped up with a last-gasp header. After a 0-0 draw in midweek, Chelsea will be disappointed to have lost an extra two points in such a fashion, and miss the chance to put daylight between the two teams in the Premier League table.