Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd: Cucurella winner boosts Blues’ Champions League bid | OneFootball

Chelsea consigned Manchester United to an 18th Premier League defeat this season after beating them 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca’s side climbed up to fourth with the result. Victory at Nottingham Forest next week would almost certainly secure Chelsea a spot in next season’s Champions League, barring a monumental uplift in Aston Villa’s goal difference (20 compared to nine).

Coming into the game, United were winless at Stamford Bridge in 11 outings, their last victory coming when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the helm in 2020. Not to mention, the Blues know how to draw the curtains on a Premier League campaign in front of their home fans; in the 22 years prior to this, Chelsea had not lost their final home league game of the season.

Perhaps that’s why Ruben Amorim ludicrously opted to deploy a full-strength lineup for this affair – just days before his side travel to Bilbao to face Tottenham in the Europa League final on May 21. Because outside of pride, and halting their dismal seven-game winless slump in the league, there was no glaring reason as to why United’s big guns were fielded tonight.

Indeed, it was the visitors’ captain and vice-captain who linked up to find the back of the net in the 16th minute. After the ball had been anaemically worked around by United’s midfield for two minutes, Bruno Fernandes had enough.

The league’s top chance-creator this season (88) sent a curling ball into the box which was guided in by Harry Maguire on the half-volley. However, the England centre-back was adjudged to have been offiside, by virtue of his unfortunately placed pinky toe.

Outside of this, Amorim’s men subjected the travelling fans to another lacklustre first-half performance, managing only one shot compared to Chelsea’s seven. The Blues came close when Noni Madueke skied a chance from just yards away in the fifth minute, and again when Reece James struck the post following a long-range effort 20 minutes later.

Madueke (six) had more touches in the opposition box than the entirety of United’s players (four) in the first half, such was the lack of attacking threat from the visitors.

Only Southampton (12) and Leicester (11) have managed fewer goals than United (15) in the opening 45 minutes of their Premier League games this season. Shockingly, United would be on 32 points and in 18th place if games ended at half-time.

Seven minutes after the break, Mason Mount squandered an opporunity to hand United the lead from close range. The result? Chants of ‘Chelsea reject’ being belted out by the home fans towards the former Blues midfielder.

He was hooked in the 70th minute after making failing to make a meaningful impact on the game. Just one minute later, Marc Cucurella finally broke the deadlock.

Following an outrageous “Berbatov Spin”, James sent a cross into the box which was met by Cucurella who rifled an uncontested header past Andre Onana. It was the full-back’s seventh goal across all competitions this season – more than any other defender in the Premier League.

Noni Madueke had a chance to double the hosts’ lead just two minutes later but shanked his chance wide – the winger’s second blunder in front of goal on the night. His two shots were worth a combined 0.46xG, while United managed just 0.37xG as a team.

With the defeat, United will end a Premier League season without winning back-to-back league games for the first time ever. Tonight’s result also marked the first time the Red Devils have gone eight straight Premier League games without a win.

Meanwhile, Chelsea extended their mighty form at Stamford Bridge; no side has taken more home points than the Blues in 2025 (26). They’ve also conceded just seven home league goals during this calendar year, fewer than any other team in the English top-flight.

But Maresca’s men will have to get the job done on the road when they next face Forest at the City Ground in the last lap of their race for Champions League football.