Twitter reacts as Manchester United snatch draw at Chelsea
By Sean Walsh
For all of Chelsea's dominance in England and Europe in 2021, Blues fans are still frightened by one opponent regardless of the soap opera that clouds them - Manchester United.
The Red Devils made the trip to west London in what's expected to be the last game before the Ralf Rangnick era begins.
And United fans arriving at Stamford Bridge will have been greeted with a shock - Michael Carrick had dropped Cristiano Ronaldo.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 28, 2021
? "I had a good chat with Cristiano... he was great [about it]"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 28, 2021
Michael Carrick explains his decision to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for Manchester United's match at Chelsea.
? Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League
? #CHEMUN blog ? https://t.co/SOfsJV2eSS pic.twitter.com/rjmf0lqnEU
Cristiano Ronaldo is so undroppable that Michael Carrick dropped him today and has lost his job already.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) November 28, 2021
I suspect Ronaldo omission (and the midfield three selected) says as much about the coaching team’s trust in the fact Bailly and Telles are starting as anything about Ronaldo himself.
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) November 28, 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo is starting on the bench in a league game for just the fourth time in the last nine seasons #mulive [sky]
— utdreport (@utdreport) November 28, 2021
Skysports have Havertz & Ronaldo headlining Wrestlemania and they are both on the bench ?
— Kam #8? (@Culturecams) November 28, 2021
Some Ronaldo fans (what a weird concept, eh) weren't too happy with Carrick's decision...
The biggest downgrade of Ronaldo's career is being managed by teammates who were 10x worse than him on the pitch.
— CR7 Rap Rhymes (@cr7raprhymes) November 28, 2021
Ronaldo is benched because he’s resting for the Dubai D’or ceremony ?
— Madrid Fan (@cristiano_peak) November 28, 2021
Before the end of 2021, Ronaldo fans will say football is not a serious sport.
— BeksFCB (@Joshua_Ubeku) November 28, 2021
While United fans were worried about Ronaldo's absence, their Chelsea counterparts were concerned about coming up against their arch nemesis - referee Anthony Taylor.
Hope Thomas Tuchel trained with one or two men down, cos anything is possible with Anthony Taylor
— Elvis Tunde ➐ (@Tunnykvng) November 28, 2021
? Early Team News :
— Pys (@CFCPys) November 28, 2021
Anthony Taylor is fit and ready to start today for Manchester United. #CFC
Ronaldo benched but Anthony Taylor on the pitch, what’s the difference?
— Mod (@CFCMod_) November 28, 2021
Chelsea dominated the first half as United sat off, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Antonio Rudiger both going close to breaking the deadlock.
CHO is one of the best young players I’ve ever seen and I’ll die on this hill. When he puts it all together…
— Cherokee Bill (@419simsim) November 28, 2021
Barring the early miss, this is probably the sharpest CHO has looked in a long, long while.
— ExpectedChelsea (@ExpectedChelsea) November 28, 2021
The decision-making in build-up is great, he's looking confident 1v1 and receiving well in wide areas. The end product will come - just like it did for Reece.
Final third touches
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) November 28, 2021
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 20
Hakim Ziyech: 17
Marcos Alonso: 16
Manchester United: 14
Rudiger rattles the woodwork ??
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 28, 2021
It's a superb strike from the #CFC defender from 20 yards, but it smacks the top corner of the crossbar. It had De Gea leaping and that could have been the #MUFC goalkeeper beaten...
? Live on SS PL
? #CHEMUN ? https://t.co/SOfsJV2eSS pic.twitter.com/UkwGq3wrhU
Rudiger cracks one against the bar. First threat from #CFC for a while. #MUFC are making the game ugly and scrappy…it’s working pretty well so far. #CHEMUN
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) November 28, 2021
Rudiger is an absolute joke. Tearing United's right side apart from deep with his passing and carrying. Basically forcing United to press higher on his side so they don't give him space to do his thing
— Aaron Moniz (@amonizfootball) November 28, 2021
Rudiger is a cam?? pic.twitter.com/NH9rD1zShY
— best ft account (@cfcnickkk) November 28, 2021
The visitors were attempting to play on the counter attack but were continually undone by *checks notes* their own star player, Bruno Fernandes...
Bruno Fernandes is awful, has the speed of Kulusevski, the shooting accuracy of Bernardeschi and the passing accuracy of Bentancur
— Martín V (@Napoleonismo) November 28, 2021
United with Bruno and Telles pic.twitter.com/0LqLjY736r
— yungslimrizla (@kagasis) November 28, 2021
I’ve never seen anything like Bruno Fernandes in my life. A player who is so so good yet so shit at the same time
— RiZzy? (@RiZzyUTD) November 28, 2021
Bruno is Small Games Bruno in Big Games pic.twitter.com/i8sjCyHKF4
— Smart United Fan (@SmartUnitedFan) November 28, 2021
Bruno Fernandes last 14 shots in the Premier League:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 28, 2021
◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎◎
None have hit the target. ?
Bruno is drunk today…
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) November 28, 2021
I cannot deal with Bruno now i see why Pep and Klopp didn’t want him in their sides he loses possession all the time it’s so annoying man
— Yahya (@UtdYahz) November 28, 2021
Bruno as a false 9 pic.twitter.com/3Za9yonh5Z
— Bayern_Jezza (@BayernJezza) November 28, 2021
the most Bruno thing ever pic.twitter.com/7DLhSojDKI
— G (@haroIdwinks) November 28, 2021
The Red Devils made it to half time without conceding a goal - a notable improvement on recent games.
HT: Chelsea (0.98) 0-0 (0.02) Man Utd
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) November 28, 2021
Clean Sheet was the intention. Somehow got to HT with it in tact!
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) November 28, 2021
Half time at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are absolutely battering Manchester United by nil goals to nil
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) November 28, 2021
This is a really rough watch but about all you could ask for from Michael Carrick considering the circumstances.
— Grace Robertson ?️⚧️ (@GraceOnFootball) November 28, 2021
Carrick on the touchline shouting Get Creative like it’s FM
— Hassan ?? (@H34SSANv3) November 28, 2021
Even if Rangnick did pick that team (!), that was hardly 'Ralfball'. Identical approach to Villarreal but #mufc are against a better team with a deeper bench and there has been zero justification for benching Ronaldo.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) November 28, 2021
And just after half time, United got the break they were looking for - Jorginho's loose touch allowed Jadon Sancho to run through on goal, and the boyhood Chelsea fan slotted the ball under Edouard Mendy to put the visitors in front.
? "Jadon Sancho scores on the ultimate counter-attack!"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 28, 2021
It has come out of nowhere, but #MUFC have capitalised on a woeful Jorginho error to lead #CFC 1-0.
? Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League
? #CHEMUN blog ? https://t.co/SOfsJV2eSS pic.twitter.com/Vr53ATuADT
You could tell Sancho was ready to pass that instead of score vintage Ozil style but eventually thought fuck it
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) November 28, 2021
JADON SANCHO
— Harry Pinero (@harrypinero) November 28, 2021
STAMFORD WHERE IT STARTED!
Jorginho robbed
— GCIIMessi (PixelPrintDesign) (@GCIIMessi) November 28, 2021
Lovely little hip swivel from Sancho to send Mendy on his backside
— Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) November 28, 2021
Sure, the run and finish by Sancho were beautiful, but surely Jorginho just has to welly it and Chelsea would have been fine, right?
Elements of Demba Ba about that.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) November 28, 2021
Never. Ever. EVER. Want to see Jorginho Ballon d'Or shouts AGAIN.
— Sean Walsh (@SeanDZWalsh) November 28, 2021
— Out Of Context Chelsea ?? (@OOCChelsea) November 28, 2021
Tell you what, Jorginho recognising that he had no place being talked about for a Ballon d'Or and forging his own personal campaign to take himself out of the running has been one of the most noble things I've ever seen in the game.
— Michael Keshani (@MichaelKeshani) November 28, 2021
Can see why he’s a balon d’or contender, lovely assist for Jorginho ?
— Danny (@DannyAaronsFUT) November 28, 2021
Chelsea now had to find a goal with their backs against the walls. Step forward, Timo Werner...
Werner shooting on goal is always as cute as a Rex Chapman video. Bless Timo. This is the content I'm here for
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) November 28, 2021
Werner continues to produce the impossible.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) November 28, 2021
One of the cleanest balls Werner will ever strike... when he really needed it to shank off his ankle or something for that shot to go in.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) November 28, 2021
Werner is just spreadsheet soldado
— Skipjack (@Skipjack0079) November 28, 2021
People behind the goal when Werner lines up a shot#CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/WB1JztJ0R0
— FPL depression ?? (@FPLdepression) November 28, 2021
The score remained Chelsea 0-1 Manchester United.
With just over an hour on the clock, Carrick finally introduced Ronaldo, but only minutes after his arrival, Taylor awarded Chelsea a penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka tripped Thiago Silva - and Jorginho made amends from the spot
Fletcher’s face when penalty confirmed? Disbelief.
— Carrie Brown ? (@CarrieBrownTV) November 28, 2021
Get AWB out of this place next summer.
— Jack (@JDanial16) November 28, 2021
The hop is back… and so is the penalty goal… #Jorginho
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) November 28, 2021
Jorginho a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or again, some turn of events #CHEMUN
— Krishan Davis (@krishan_davis) November 28, 2021
Thomas Tuchel's men piled on the pressure but nearly threw it away when Mendy passed straight to Fred - only for the Brazil international to kindly chip it back into his grateful arms.
88' - Mendy gives the ball away to Fred, who tries to lift it over him to make it 2-1. Straight into the keeper's hands #mulive
— utdreport (@utdreport) November 28, 2021
Fred trying to score a chip is like Icarus taking on the sun, except in Fred’s case he didn’t go high enough.
— Huw Davies (@thehuwdavies) November 28, 2021
Fred you prat....
— Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) November 28, 2021
Fred is probably the last person on the pitch I’d want to be presented with that match winning opportunity. Seriously, what the fuck was that? ???
— Scott Patterson (@R_o_M) November 28, 2021
Mendy giving away the ball.....to Fred pic.twitter.com/GrYRfm5txw
— Project Football (@ProjectFootball) November 28, 2021
After seven minutes of stoppage time, the ball dropped from the heavens to an unmarked Antonio Rudiger in the United penalty area...
Great chance for Antonio Rudiger but he lashes it high over the bar.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) November 28, 2021
Rüdiger’s eyes lit up so WIDE that he rushed it and hit into the f*cking solar system.
— Dubois (@CFCDUBois) November 28, 2021
Antonio Rudiger can't believe his miss at the final moment of the game ? pic.twitter.com/Y57WcGvZoI
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 28, 2021
...over. Full time: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United.
FT: Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 28, 2021
Antonio Rudiger knows it could have been different ? pic.twitter.com/AMYKqqic9r
In the second half Chelsea had 0.7% of all corners awarded to any team in the PL this season
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) November 28, 2021
Ronaldo straight down tunnel to throw tantrum in dressing room at full time after a 7th goalless league game in last 8 ?
— Aby (@__Abyyy__) November 28, 2021
And breathe.