Skip to content

3 takeaways from Chelsea's draw against Manchester United: Resurgent Blues need more

Reuters

Manchester United looked set to celebrate all three points Sunday at Stamford Bridge, if not for the determination of Guus Hiddink's resurgent Chelsea side.

A last-gasp equaliser scored by Diego Costa secured his team a point, despite being down 1-0 for much of the second half after a Jesse Lingard opener gave United the edge.

Here are 3 takeaways from this evenly-fought fixture:

Resurgent Blues still need more

For all of Chelsea's woes this season, life under interim Guus Hiddink feels, well ... normal.

The Blues remain unbeaten under Hiddink, with five wins and six draws in their last 11 games. With a 1-1 draw, Chelsea continues to torment the Red Devils, who have failed to defeat Chelsea in 10 consecutive games. Costa has found his form, too:

Things look good for Chelsea, something that this team desperately needed during Jose Mourinho's last few months. But, that doesn't mean Chelsea is back to its sterling best, either.

Between John Terry's imminent exit and the injury sustained by Kurt Zouma in the second half - it looked quite serious, but there is no diagnosis just yet - Chelsea still needs plenty of defensive reinforcement for the next season.

And, most importantly, despite most of his teammates finding their form once more, star man Eden Hazard continues to toil out on the pitch. Without an in-form Hazard, Chelsea looks like a good team, but not a great one.

Is the race for Champions League spots still open?

In what has been a strange Premier League season, the race for a top-four finish remains open ... somewhat. For all of Manchester United's dire football this season - and the criticism Louis van Gaal endured as a result - the Red Devils sit six points out of a Champions League spot following Sunday's draw at Stamford Bridge.

There has been an overwhelming feeling of late that the top four clubs - Leicester, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City - have pulled away and opened up an insurmountable gap on the chasing pack (read: United).

And yet, there are still 13 matches - and 39 points - available this season. It may be unlikely, sure, but it's certainly not incomprehensible that United could wriggle into Europe's showpiece competition.

David De Gea is a force to be reckoned with

David De Gea might just be the best goalkeeper in the world - he certainly is in the Premier League.

He alone denied Chelsea on a number of occasions, making a huge reaction save on a close-range effort from Branislav Ivanovic, then repeating the feat on Diego Costa late in the match.

Sure, there are other top 'keepers - Manuel Neuer chief among them - but in England, there is but one No. 1 worth talking about; Real Madrid will be watching the highlights from this match and ruing its misfortune. For all the talk of Manchester United needing more dynamic signings, Louis van Gaal can, at the very least, relax knowing his goalkeeper won't be letting him down.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox