Another David de Gea howler gifted Chelsea the advantage in the hunt for a top-four finish after a 1-1 draw against a Manchester United side now winless in their last four games.
The Red Devils started brightly and took the lead within 11 minutes as former Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata finished off a superbly-worked team move to give the home side the lead.
De Gea, though, who has now made three errors leading to goals in his last four games, presented Marcos Alonso with the chance to pounce on a loose ball and restore parity just before the break. The marauding Spanish left-back has been out of sorts this season but showcased his eye for goal once again as his close-range effort clipped the post on its way in.
After the interval, United tried with little success to break down a rigid Chelsea backline, whose confidence seemed to have inexplicably blossomed with the return of Antonio Rudiger to the side following injury.
After Pedro cleared Marcos Rojo’s header off the line, it was clear that Maurizio Sarri had finally come out on top in an away game against one of the ‘top six’ teams.
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