Chelsea and Manchester United Draw
No Goals as Underestrength Teams Focus on FA Cup Final at Wembley
With weakened sides Chelsea and Manchester United played out a scoreless draw at Stamford Bridge as they concentrated on their next meeting, the FA Cup Final at Wembley.
With both teams battling for the Premiership title, the match that until a few days ago was being billed as the match of the season, turned into a non-event with many of the star names rested ahead of Saturday week’s FA Cup Final. Over 41,000 spectators turned up having booked their tickets in advance expecting to see a titanic struggle in possibly the title deciding game of the season.
Unfortunately for those spectators the title race was decided last Sunday when Chelsea failed to beat Arsenal, thus handing Manchester United the Premiership crown that Chelsea have held so proudly for the last two seasons.
After a long and strenuous season the two managers, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson, sent out under strength sides with only a handful of star names appearing for each side. Neither side had their star strikers available, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo both being injured. John Terry, Essien, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou turned out for Chelsea with Joe Cole among the substitutes while for United only Wes Brown, Gabriel Heinze and John O’Shea played while Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Edwin Van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand were on the substitutes bench.
The Chelsea players had a guard of honour for the new Premiership champions but the Manchester United team contained many young squad players who had played little part in the Premiership winning performance.
As was to be expected the game played at Stamford Bridge was a low-key affair with Chelsea dominating possession and having the greater number of shots but without being able to make any of them count. The United goalkeeper, Tomasz Kuszczak, had a mixed evening – he made some important saves but also had some fortuitous moments which United survived as they once again frustrated Chelsea.
A scoreless draw with both teams more intent on looking forward to their next meeting, the FA Cup Final at Wembley on Saturday, 19th May, ensuring they had no unnecessary injuries or suspensions that would weaken either team for the showpiece Final.
Manchester United will be hoping to complete the League and Cup ‘double’ while Chelsea will want to avoid being left with the Carling Cup as their only reward from a long season that had looked so promising at one stage as they competed for trophies on four fronts. The past few weeks have been very disappointing for Chelsea while for Manchester United, the Champions League defeat to AC Milan aside, have gone on from strength to strength.
Manchester United will receive the Premiership trophy at Old Trafford on Sunday where they play relegation threatened West Ham United. Chelsea’s final game is at home to Everton.
