EPL: Manchester United, Chelsea share the spoils as clash ends in deadlock
Any game between Manchester United and domestic rivals Chelsea is usually very eagerly anticipated and the English match-up rarely fails to disappoint but Saturday’s game could well be one to forget for both sides as the mouth-watering tie failed to produce the goods with both sides sharing the points in a boring goalless outing.
While, Man It’s would have felt better off with a win, maybe the result will be more pleasing for Chelsea who been leaking goals this season and will surely take satisfaction from this clean sheet and a fine performance from their new goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, who made three fine saves to keep his team level with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
After a futile first half, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer barely waited 10 minutes into the second half before he brought Pogba and Edinson Cavani, who was making his debut, off the bench.
The changes almost paid immediate dividends for United. They worked a short corner to Fernandes and when he clipped a ball into the near post, Cavani nearly scored with his first touch in a United shirt.
Cavani looked encouragingly sharp but he was not on long enough to make much of a difference.
The last of Mendy’s saves came in the 90th minute when he dived to his left to beat away a curling snapshot from Marcus Rashford as the game entered injury time before the final whistle brought an end to it all.
It would have been a fitting end to a week when Rashford had united the nation in his appeal for an extension to the free school meals scheme if he had scored the winner.
The result left United at 15th in the Premier League table and lifted Chelsea to sixth.
West Ham 1 – 1 Manchester City
Elsewhere in England, Phil Foden came off the bench to spare spluttering Manchester City’s blushes as the England midfielder rescued a 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side fell behind to Michail Antonio’s superb overhead kick in the first half at the London Stadium.
Foden came on at half-time and produced an instant equaliser, but City couldn’t deliver the knockout blow and have now won just one of their last four Premier League games.
Liverpool 2 – 1 Sheffied United
Liverpool comes from behind to get the win against Sheffied United.
Sander Berge’s 13 spot-kick had given the visitors the lead, but goals from Robert Firmino and Diogo Jota in both halves ensured the champions bagged all three points.