Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

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tulieni vijana sooon and very soon we going to be the champs
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Umesha isha na ndoo ndiyo iko njia moja kutua OT, Leo hali ni shwari hapa mtaani maana Kaanza Arsenal kalamba 3-1 kwa Stoke city, Halafu kafuatia Kaka ake Chelsea nae kaoga 2-1. Wote Kimyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Man U bwana acha tu!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Manchester United beat Chelsea to move one step closer to the title






Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Kevin McCarra at Old Trafford
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 18.25 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Nemanja-Vidic--007.jpg
    Nemanja Vidic celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester United against Chelsea. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images

    The title is Manchester United's in all but name. A further point against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park or Blackpool at home will make them champions of England for the 19th time, so eclipsing Liverpool's record.
    It is, however, Chelsea who are the contemporary rivals and it will gladden Old Trafford that Carlo Ancelotti's team is to be trophy-less after taking the Double last season.
    Chelsea awakened some interest when trimming United's 2-0 lead, but there was no concerted challenge against a much superior side. The opposition had harmed them immediately. With 37 seconds gone, Park Ji-sung sent Javier Hernández through for the opener. The visitors' durability had vanished and United struck again after 23 minutes. Ryan Giggs took a short corner, had the ball returned to him and sent in a deep cross that was headed in by a loosely marked Nemanja Vidic.
    The acrimony associated with this fixture came later, with the referee Howard Webb showing tolerance when, for instance, declining to show a yellow card to the Chelsea centre-half David Luiz, who was substituted at the interval after looking vulnerable under pressure.
    It was a raw sort of day, with Wayne Rooney alleged to have gesticulated at visiting fans, but Chelsea felt the sting of this occasion most of all. The pursuit of United had been in vain.
    Any question about the outcome virtually ended with the Vidic goal, although Frank Lampard did score after Branislav Ivanovic had knocked a cross by the substitute Ramires into his path with 68 minutes gone. Sir Alex Ferguson's side can now begin to focus on a Champions League final against Barcelona.
    While that will be a challenge of a higher order, United are entitled to pause and relish their work on the domestic scene. Their points total will be 82 at most, but United have exercised as much control as circumstances demanded.
    Edwin van der Sar did make good saves, but it never looked likely that Chelsea would completely repair the grave damage done at the outset. The form of Ancelotti's squad had been outstanding of late, but that was still a prolonged and unavailing effort to compensate for previous lapses.
    Ultimately, the superiority of United has been demonstrated. The lead could well have been greater, but an unmarked Hernández headed high from Antonio Valencia's cross in the 86th minute.

 
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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:27PM

    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.






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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    But to put on my serious trousers for a minute: Park Ji-Sung just put in the best midfield performance I've seen in years. Shame the MOTM goes to Giggs by default these days, great game though he had.


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    ThePaladin     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    He's won it twelve times, he's won it twelve tiiiimes! That boy Giggsy. He's won it twelve times!
    What a performance.




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    HarryPfarrer     8 May 2011 6:29PM

    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    3 - Liverpool – get off our perch! CHAMPIONS!! We’re Man United we’ll do what we want!





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    Butterfinger550     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    Ashley Cole – Best left back in the world? Shame he never produces the goods at Old Trafford.
    To those saying United aren’t deserving champions – watch the 1996/97 and 2000/01 season reviews. Didn’t possess the panache that we’ve all come to expect of them but they were head and shoulders better than the chasing pack.
    Ancelotti shouldn’t be kicking himself – clawing back to get his team into a position where they could defend the league is commendable. But what does that say about the rest, especially the number two team at the time.
    That was Wenger’s title for the taking. His team blew it.


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    IXUS     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    It's time Rooney either took a pay cut or was sold. He fluffed FIVE good chances in as many minutes. Quite why he, or his manager think he is the most valuable player at Man Utd is a complete mystery. I'd sell him and reward the other players more.




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    SlugClergy     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    The Gooners ecky-thumped out of it in Stoke, Leeds marooned in the Championship for another year, Wolves clawing their way out of the bottom three and now the fat lady warming up for the aria.
    A good weekend for football...


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    Zaid216     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Well done United. Best side won over the season. Proud of Chelsea for at least getting to this stage but we'll bounce back next year. Felt a bit sorry for Luiz. Think Ancelotti overreacted there.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    United!! Brilliant match, attacking from the off, nerve-wracking finale, how many chances did United scupper to seal it?! Park was superb. Excellent chance now to seal the league without too much stress and prepare for Barça!



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    pimpslap     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    But, but....I thought we were supposed to be shite? In decline. The Guardian said so.
    Oh yeah, 19.




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    ladrome     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Pleased for Hernandez..... enjoys his football. Generally a poor season for the Premier League.... or maybe not? Barcelona will let us know!


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    Here4sharingopinion     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    * If Park realy drank frog juice when he was young heck we should all start drinking it Duracell Bunny
    *If Valencia can do that to the Barca left Back Man Utd got a great chance
    *I wonder what Giggs drinks for his energy!!!!!! Redbull??


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    LordXenu     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Excellent. A deserved victory, and Bebe, Obertan and Gibson were kept fresh for Barcelona.



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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    ​
    Point of order: Ivanovic should have had four yellow cards and Drogba's studs-up lunge on Carrick in the last few minutes was a red card by any definition.
    But I suppose the tin foil brigade can ignore that and go back to harping about 'Old Trafford decisions' while howling at the moon.


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    Ruprict     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Commiserations to the many decent Chelsea posters on this site. Many, myself included, had written them off several weeks ago. They made me endure the longest 49 minutes of my live since I got trapped in a lift with BangkokBob.


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    PaulLambert     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    I think United have proven they have the best side - or squad - in the division.
    Nine points ahead of Arsenal, six ahead of Chelsea, and the title now looking a certainty. Plus three wins in four in the head to head games against Chelsea, and two wins in three in the head to head games against Arsenal.
    As for this game itself, United more than deserved the victory, and but for profligacy could've won by three or four. But I guess chances aren't as easy to put away when you're under that much pressure, nor prevent when you desperately need to go forward and try and get goals yourself.
    And for the 'Webb is a United ref' crowd out there, today's performance - denying United two penalties, one blatant, and failing to send off Ivanovic for a series of bookable fouls - is surely evidence to the contrary.


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    ComptonStand     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Congratulations to the United mob.
    The best team has clearly won the league. As they always do.
    Chelsea didn't turn up from autumn and winter and have suffered the consequences.
    And, having played United for six hours, they only looked the better team for an hour at Stamford Bridge in the league.
    The better team won today and Chelsea have some work to do and some people to axe.
    Hopefully, Carlo isn't one of them. Although I'd suggest he needs a more forceful, opinionated side man.






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    AlbaIT     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Another awful United performance
    ​
    Awful? I thought they were great today.
    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    ​
    He was one of the best on the pitch today. Like him a lot.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    @ CaptainBlack


    Perch>
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Liverpool
    ​
    One seriously wobbling parrot.




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    Anycolouryoulike     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Congratulations Man United on your 19th title
    Man U were outstanding today van der Sarr Giggs, Rooney, Hernández, Park, Valencia were excellent today.
    Valencia has been a revelation since coming back from injury.
    Chelsea was just not good enough today and David Luiz had a shocker.


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    cycleloopy     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Torres came on in the 61st minute..he touched the ball only 19 times. Nineteen touches! £110,000 per week! £5,789.47 per touch...Not bad!



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    ctothep     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    hiphoppopotamus
    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.
    ​
    Teehee, well put.
    Congratulations all around! A thorough thumping.
    Close it out next week and this will be a particularly sweet title.



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    saltee     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Cngratulations, thats the league in the bag.
    A fine performance, although I thought you were going to do an Arsenal, so many chances to wrap the game up and you didnt take them. Still, didnt matter in the end.
    Congratulations on number 19. Going to be some very pissed off scousers today :)




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    JDKoopa     8 May 2011 6:35PM

    The only problem is that when United are confirmed as Champs next weekend it's going steal Stoke's thunder when they win the FA cup.



 
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    &#8226; No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    &#8226; Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United &#8211; Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    &#8226; United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    &#8226; Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.

 
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    • No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    • Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United – Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    • United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    • Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.
 
Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United beat Chelsea to move one step closer to the title










Premier League

Manchester United 2

  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23

Chelsea 1

  • Lampard 68






  • Kevin McCarra at Old Trafford
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 18.25 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Nemanja-Vidic--007.jpg
    Nemanja Vidic celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester United against Chelsea. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images

    The title is Manchester United's in all but name. A further point against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park or Blackpool at home will make them champions of England for the 19th time, so eclipsing Liverpool's record.
    It is, however, Chelsea who are the contemporary rivals and it will gladden Old Trafford that Carlo Ancelotti's team is to be trophy-less after taking the Double last season.
    Chelsea awakened some interest when trimming United's 2-0 lead, but there was no concerted challenge against a much superior side. The opposition had harmed them immediately. With 37 seconds gone, Park Ji-sung sent Javier Hernández through for the opener. The visitors' durability had vanished and United struck again after 23 minutes. Ryan Giggs took a short corner, had the ball returned to him and sent in a deep cross that was headed in by a loosely marked Nemanja Vidic.
    The acrimony associated with this fixture came later, with the referee Howard Webb showing tolerance when, for instance, declining to show a yellow card to the Chelsea centre-half David Luiz, who was substituted at the interval after looking vulnerable under pressure.
    It was a raw sort of day, with Wayne Rooney alleged to have gesticulated at visiting fans, but Chelsea felt the sting of this occasion most of all. The pursuit of United had been in vain.
    Any question about the outcome virtually ended with the Vidic goal, although Frank Lampard did score after Branislav Ivanovic had knocked a cross by the substitute Ramires into his path with 68 minutes gone. Sir Alex Ferguson's side can now begin to focus on a Champions League final against Barcelona.
    While that will be a challenge of a higher order, United are entitled to pause and relish their work on the domestic scene. Their points total will be 82 at most, but United have exercised as much control as circumstances demanded.
    Edwin van der Sar did make good saves, but it never looked likely that Chelsea would completely repair the grave damage done at the outset. The form of Ancelotti's squad had been outstanding of late, but that was still a prolonged and unavailing effort to compensate for previous lapses.
    Ultimately, the superiority of United has been demonstrated. The lead could well have been greater, but an unmarked Hernández headed high from Antonio Valencia's cross in the 86th minute.

Click to expand...

Kaka, kwanza nikushukuru kwa kuwa huwa unatupa updates za stori za magazetini hapa jamvini, lakini kiukweli staili yako sijaipenda na kuweka hizo stor, u dont bother to edit it, na kiukweli kwa sisi ambao mda mwingi tunatumia simu basi inakuwa ni kazi kwelikweli kudrag hizo stuffs hadi kufukia unachiokitaka, mm nadhan the better idea ungekuwa unakuwa selective katika kuchagua n nn na nn una post, na si mbaya ukaweka kwa uchache na ukamaliza na LINK kwa maelezo zaidi, mfano hayo ma comments ya wasomaji sion hata yana mshiko kuwekwa yote. Zaid ni kutujazia post pages tu hapa.

Good work ila work out on my ushauri ili kazi yako iboreke zaidi.
 
Rutashubanyuma said:
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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:27PM

    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.






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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    But to put on my serious trousers for a minute: Park Ji-Sung just put in the best midfield performance I've seen in years. Shame the MOTM goes to Giggs by default these days, great game though he had.


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    ThePaladin     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    He's won it twelve times, he's won it twelve tiiiimes! That boy Giggsy. He's won it twelve times!
    What a performance.




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    HarryPfarrer     8 May 2011 6:29PM

    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up &#8211; Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won't be talked about at all &#8211; why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    3 - Liverpool &#8211; get off our perch! CHAMPIONS!! We're Man United we'll do what we want!





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    Butterfinger550     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    Ashley Cole &#8211; Best left back in the world? Shame he never produces the goods at Old Trafford.
    To those saying United aren't deserving champions &#8211; watch the 1996/97 and 2000/01 season reviews. Didn't possess the panache that we've all come to expect of them but they were head and shoulders better than the chasing pack.
    Ancelotti shouldn't be kicking himself &#8211; clawing back to get his team into a position where they could defend the league is commendable. But what does that say about the rest, especially the number two team at the time.
    That was Wenger's title for the taking. His team blew it.


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    IXUS     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    It's time Rooney either took a pay cut or was sold. He fluffed FIVE good chances in as many minutes. Quite why he, or his manager think he is the most valuable player at Man Utd is a complete mystery. I'd sell him and reward the other players more.




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    SlugClergy     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    The Gooners ecky-thumped out of it in Stoke, Leeds marooned in the Championship for another year, Wolves clawing their way out of the bottom three and now the fat lady warming up for the aria.
    A good weekend for football...


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    Zaid216     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Well done United. Best side won over the season. Proud of Chelsea for at least getting to this stage but we'll bounce back next year. Felt a bit sorry for Luiz. Think Ancelotti overreacted there.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    United!! Brilliant match, attacking from the off, nerve-wracking finale, how many chances did United scupper to seal it?! Park was superb. Excellent chance now to seal the league without too much stress and prepare for Barça!



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    pimpslap     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    But, but....I thought we were supposed to be shite? In decline. The Guardian said so.
    Oh yeah, 19.




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    ladrome     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Pleased for Hernandez..... enjoys his football. Generally a poor season for the Premier League.... or maybe not? Barcelona will let us know!


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    Here4sharingopinion     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    * If Park realy drank frog juice when he was young heck we should all start drinking it Duracell Bunny
    *If Valencia can do that to the Barca left Back Man Utd got a great chance
    *I wonder what Giggs drinks for his energy!!!!!! Redbull??


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    LordXenu     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Excellent. A deserved victory, and Bebe, Obertan and Gibson were kept fresh for Barcelona.



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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up &#8211; Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won't be talked about at all &#8211; why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    ​
    Point of order: Ivanovic should have had four yellow cards and Drogba's studs-up lunge on Carrick in the last few minutes was a red card by any definition.
    But I suppose the tin foil brigade can ignore that and go back to harping about 'Old Trafford decisions' while howling at the moon.


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    Ruprict     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Commiserations to the many decent Chelsea posters on this site. Many, myself included, had written them off several weeks ago. They made me endure the longest 49 minutes of my live since I got trapped in a lift with BangkokBob.


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    PaulLambert     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    I think United have proven they have the best side - or squad - in the division.
    Nine points ahead of Arsenal, six ahead of Chelsea, and the title now looking a certainty. Plus three wins in four in the head to head games against Chelsea, and two wins in three in the head to head games against Arsenal.
    As for this game itself, United more than deserved the victory, and but for profligacy could've won by three or four. But I guess chances aren't as easy to put away when you're under that much pressure, nor prevent when you desperately need to go forward and try and get goals yourself.
    And for the 'Webb is a United ref' crowd out there, today's performance - denying United two penalties, one blatant, and failing to send off Ivanovic for a series of bookable fouls - is surely evidence to the contrary.


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    ComptonStand     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Congratulations to the United mob.
    The best team has clearly won the league. As they always do.
    Chelsea didn't turn up from autumn and winter and have suffered the consequences.
    And, having played United for six hours, they only looked the better team for an hour at Stamford Bridge in the league.
    The better team won today and Chelsea have some work to do and some people to axe.
    Hopefully, Carlo isn't one of them. Although I'd suggest he needs a more forceful, opinionated side man.






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    AlbaIT     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Another awful United performance
    ​
    Awful? I thought they were great today.
    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    ​
    He was one of the best on the pitch today. Like him a lot.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    @ CaptainBlack


    Perch>
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Liverpool
    ​
    One seriously wobbling parrot.




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    Anycolouryoulike     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Congratulations Man United on your 19th title
    Man U were outstanding today van der Sarr Giggs, Rooney, Hernández, Park, Valencia were excellent today.
    Valencia has been a revelation since coming back from injury.
    Chelsea was just not good enough today and David Luiz had a shocker.


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    cycleloopy     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Torres came on in the 61st minute..he touched the ball only 19 times. Nineteen touches! £110,000 per week! £5,789.47 per touch...Not bad!



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    ctothep     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    hiphoppopotamus
    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.
    ​
    Teehee, well put.
    Congratulations all around! A thorough thumping.
    Close it out next week and this will be a particularly sweet title.



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    saltee     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Cngratulations, thats the league in the bag.
    A fine performance, although I thought you were going to do an Arsenal, so many chances to wrap the game up and you didnt take them. Still, didnt matter in the end.
    Congratulations on number 19. Going to be some very pissed off scousers today :)




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    JDKoopa     8 May 2011 6:35PM

    The only problem is that when United are confirmed as Champs next weekend it's going steal Stoke's thunder when they win the FA cup.



Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    &#8226; No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    &#8226; Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United &#8211; Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    &#8226; United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    &#8226; Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.

Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    &#8226; No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    &#8226; Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United &#8211; Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    &#8226; United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    &#8226; Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
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    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
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    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
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    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.
Click to expand...





Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Posts of the Season!
 
Rutashubanyuma said:
Comments in chronological order (Total 238 comments)


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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:27PM

    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.






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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    But to put on my serious trousers for a minute: Park Ji-Sung just put in the best midfield performance I've seen in years. Shame the MOTM goes to Giggs by default these days, great game though he had.


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    ThePaladin     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    He's won it twelve times, he's won it twelve tiiiimes! That boy Giggsy. He's won it twelve times!
    What a performance.




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    HarryPfarrer     8 May 2011 6:29PM

    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    3 - Liverpool – get off our perch! CHAMPIONS!! We’re Man United we’ll do what we want!





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    Butterfinger550     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    Ashley Cole – Best left back in the world? Shame he never produces the goods at Old Trafford.
    To those saying United aren’t deserving champions – watch the 1996/97 and 2000/01 season reviews. Didn’t possess the panache that we’ve all come to expect of them but they were head and shoulders better than the chasing pack.
    Ancelotti shouldn’t be kicking himself – clawing back to get his team into a position where they could defend the league is commendable. But what does that say about the rest, especially the number two team at the time.
    That was Wenger’s title for the taking. His team blew it.


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    IXUS     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    It's time Rooney either took a pay cut or was sold. He fluffed FIVE good chances in as many minutes. Quite why he, or his manager think he is the most valuable player at Man Utd is a complete mystery. I'd sell him and reward the other players more.




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    SlugClergy     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    The Gooners ecky-thumped out of it in Stoke, Leeds marooned in the Championship for another year, Wolves clawing their way out of the bottom three and now the fat lady warming up for the aria.
    A good weekend for football...


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    Zaid216     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Well done United. Best side won over the season. Proud of Chelsea for at least getting to this stage but we'll bounce back next year. Felt a bit sorry for Luiz. Think Ancelotti overreacted there.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    United!! Brilliant match, attacking from the off, nerve-wracking finale, how many chances did United scupper to seal it?! Park was superb. Excellent chance now to seal the league without too much stress and prepare for Barça!



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    pimpslap     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    But, but....I thought we were supposed to be shite? In decline. The Guardian said so.
    Oh yeah, 19.




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    ladrome     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Pleased for Hernandez..... enjoys his football. Generally a poor season for the Premier League.... or maybe not? Barcelona will let us know!


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    Here4sharingopinion     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    * If Park realy drank frog juice when he was young heck we should all start drinking it Duracell Bunny
    *If Valencia can do that to the Barca left Back Man Utd got a great chance
    *I wonder what Giggs drinks for his energy!!!!!! Redbull??


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    LordXenu     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Excellent. A deserved victory, and Bebe, Obertan and Gibson were kept fresh for Barcelona.



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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    ​
    Point of order: Ivanovic should have had four yellow cards and Drogba's studs-up lunge on Carrick in the last few minutes was a red card by any definition.
    But I suppose the tin foil brigade can ignore that and go back to harping about 'Old Trafford decisions' while howling at the moon.


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    Ruprict     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Commiserations to the many decent Chelsea posters on this site. Many, myself included, had written them off several weeks ago. They made me endure the longest 49 minutes of my live since I got trapped in a lift with BangkokBob.


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    PaulLambert     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    I think United have proven they have the best side - or squad - in the division.
    Nine points ahead of Arsenal, six ahead of Chelsea, and the title now looking a certainty. Plus three wins in four in the head to head games against Chelsea, and two wins in three in the head to head games against Arsenal.
    As for this game itself, United more than deserved the victory, and but for profligacy could've won by three or four. But I guess chances aren't as easy to put away when you're under that much pressure, nor prevent when you desperately need to go forward and try and get goals yourself.
    And for the 'Webb is a United ref' crowd out there, today's performance - denying United two penalties, one blatant, and failing to send off Ivanovic for a series of bookable fouls - is surely evidence to the contrary.


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    ComptonStand     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Congratulations to the United mob.
    The best team has clearly won the league. As they always do.
    Chelsea didn't turn up from autumn and winter and have suffered the consequences.
    And, having played United for six hours, they only looked the better team for an hour at Stamford Bridge in the league.
    The better team won today and Chelsea have some work to do and some people to axe.
    Hopefully, Carlo isn't one of them. Although I'd suggest he needs a more forceful, opinionated side man.






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    AlbaIT     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Another awful United performance
    ​
    Awful? I thought they were great today.
    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    ​
    He was one of the best on the pitch today. Like him a lot.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    @ CaptainBlack


    Perch>
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Liverpool
    ​
    One seriously wobbling parrot.




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    Anycolouryoulike     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Congratulations Man United on your 19th title
    Man U were outstanding today van der Sarr Giggs, Rooney, Hernández, Park, Valencia were excellent today.
    Valencia has been a revelation since coming back from injury.
    Chelsea was just not good enough today and David Luiz had a shocker.


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    cycleloopy     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Torres came on in the 61st minute..he touched the ball only 19 times. Nineteen touches! £110,000 per week! £5,789.47 per touch...Not bad!



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    ctothep     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    hiphoppopotamus
    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.
    ​
    Teehee, well put.
    Congratulations all around! A thorough thumping.
    Close it out next week and this will be a particularly sweet title.



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    saltee     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Cngratulations, thats the league in the bag.
    A fine performance, although I thought you were going to do an Arsenal, so many chances to wrap the game up and you didnt take them. Still, didnt matter in the end.
    Congratulations on number 19. Going to be some very pissed off scousers today :)




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    JDKoopa     8 May 2011 6:35PM

    The only problem is that when United are confirmed as Champs next weekend it's going steal Stoke's thunder when they win the FA cup.



Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    • No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    • Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United – Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    • United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    • Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
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    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
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    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.

Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    • No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    • Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United – Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    • United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    • Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
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    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
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    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
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    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
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    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.
Click to expand...





Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Posts of the Season!
 
Rutashubanyuma said:
Comments in chronological order (Total 238 comments)


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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:27PM

    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.






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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    But to put on my serious trousers for a minute: Park Ji-Sung just put in the best midfield performance I've seen in years. Shame the MOTM goes to Giggs by default these days, great game though he had.


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    ThePaladin     8 May 2011 6:28PM

    He's won it twelve times, he's won it twelve tiiiimes! That boy Giggsy. He's won it twelve times!
    What a performance.




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    HarryPfarrer     8 May 2011 6:29PM

    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    3 - Liverpool – get off our perch! CHAMPIONS!! We’re Man United we’ll do what we want!





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    Butterfinger550     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    Ashley Cole – Best left back in the world? Shame he never produces the goods at Old Trafford.
    To those saying United aren’t deserving champions – watch the 1996/97 and 2000/01 season reviews. Didn’t possess the panache that we’ve all come to expect of them but they were head and shoulders better than the chasing pack.
    Ancelotti shouldn’t be kicking himself – clawing back to get his team into a position where they could defend the league is commendable. But what does that say about the rest, especially the number two team at the time.
    That was Wenger’s title for the taking. His team blew it.


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    IXUS     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    It's time Rooney either took a pay cut or was sold. He fluffed FIVE good chances in as many minutes. Quite why he, or his manager think he is the most valuable player at Man Utd is a complete mystery. I'd sell him and reward the other players more.




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    SlugClergy     8 May 2011 6:30PM

    The Gooners ecky-thumped out of it in Stoke, Leeds marooned in the Championship for another year, Wolves clawing their way out of the bottom three and now the fat lady warming up for the aria.
    A good weekend for football...


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    Zaid216     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Well done United. Best side won over the season. Proud of Chelsea for at least getting to this stage but we'll bounce back next year. Felt a bit sorry for Luiz. Think Ancelotti overreacted there.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    United!! Brilliant match, attacking from the off, nerve-wracking finale, how many chances did United scupper to seal it?! Park was superb. Excellent chance now to seal the league without too much stress and prepare for Barça!



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    pimpslap     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    But, but....I thought we were supposed to be shite? In decline. The Guardian said so.
    Oh yeah, 19.




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    ladrome     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Pleased for Hernandez..... enjoys his football. Generally a poor season for the Premier League.... or maybe not? Barcelona will let us know!


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    Here4sharingopinion     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    * If Park realy drank frog juice when he was young heck we should all start drinking it Duracell Bunny
    *If Valencia can do that to the Barca left Back Man Utd got a great chance
    *I wonder what Giggs drinks for his energy!!!!!! Redbull??


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    LordXenu     8 May 2011 6:31PM

    Excellent. A deserved victory, and Bebe, Obertan and Gibson were kept fresh for Barcelona.



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    hiphoppopotamus     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    2 - We should have had a penalty to go 3 up – Wilshere should have been sent off for his horror tackle plus afters with Pennant. This won’t be talked about at all – why? Because we (unlike Arsenal) are too busy getting on with winning matches anyway
    ​
    Point of order: Ivanovic should have had four yellow cards and Drogba's studs-up lunge on Carrick in the last few minutes was a red card by any definition.
    But I suppose the tin foil brigade can ignore that and go back to harping about 'Old Trafford decisions' while howling at the moon.


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    Ruprict     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Commiserations to the many decent Chelsea posters on this site. Many, myself included, had written them off several weeks ago. They made me endure the longest 49 minutes of my live since I got trapped in a lift with BangkokBob.


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    PaulLambert     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    I think United have proven they have the best side - or squad - in the division.
    Nine points ahead of Arsenal, six ahead of Chelsea, and the title now looking a certainty. Plus three wins in four in the head to head games against Chelsea, and two wins in three in the head to head games against Arsenal.
    As for this game itself, United more than deserved the victory, and but for profligacy could've won by three or four. But I guess chances aren't as easy to put away when you're under that much pressure, nor prevent when you desperately need to go forward and try and get goals yourself.
    And for the 'Webb is a United ref' crowd out there, today's performance - denying United two penalties, one blatant, and failing to send off Ivanovic for a series of bookable fouls - is surely evidence to the contrary.


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    ComptonStand     8 May 2011 6:32PM

    Congratulations to the United mob.
    The best team has clearly won the league. As they always do.
    Chelsea didn't turn up from autumn and winter and have suffered the consequences.
    And, having played United for six hours, they only looked the better team for an hour at Stamford Bridge in the league.
    The better team won today and Chelsea have some work to do and some people to axe.
    Hopefully, Carlo isn't one of them. Although I'd suggest he needs a more forceful, opinionated side man.






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    AlbaIT     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Another awful United performance
    ​
    Awful? I thought they were great today.
    1 - Park is there to sell shirts in Asia clearly - rubbish player....
    ​
    He was one of the best on the pitch today. Like him a lot.


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    hexa     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    @ CaptainBlack


    Perch>
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Liverpool
    ​
    One seriously wobbling parrot.




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    Anycolouryoulike     8 May 2011 6:33PM

    Congratulations Man United on your 19th title
    Man U were outstanding today van der Sarr Giggs, Rooney, Hernández, Park, Valencia were excellent today.
    Valencia has been a revelation since coming back from injury.
    Chelsea was just not good enough today and David Luiz had a shocker.


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    cycleloopy     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Torres came on in the 61st minute..he touched the ball only 19 times. Nineteen touches! £110,000 per week! £5,789.47 per touch...Not bad!



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    ctothep     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    hiphoppopotamus
    Another awful United performance. That whole midfield needs sacking.
    Thought Webb had a good game for Chelsea. They hardly missed Atkinson at all.
    Chortle.
    ​
    Teehee, well put.
    Congratulations all around! A thorough thumping.
    Close it out next week and this will be a particularly sweet title.



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    saltee     8 May 2011 6:34PM

    Cngratulations, thats the league in the bag.
    A fine performance, although I thought you were going to do an Arsenal, so many chances to wrap the game up and you didnt take them. Still, didnt matter in the end.
    Congratulations on number 19. Going to be some very pissed off scousers today :)




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    JDKoopa     8 May 2011 6:35PM

    The only problem is that when United are confirmed as Champs next weekend it's going steal Stoke's thunder when they win the FA cup.



Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    &#8226; No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    &#8226; Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United &#8211; Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    &#8226; United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    &#8226; Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
    MBM-Howard-Webb-001.jpg
    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
    MBM-goal-001.jpg
    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
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    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
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    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
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    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
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    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
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    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
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    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
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    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.

Click to expand...

Rutashubanyuma said:
Manchester United v Chelsea - as it happened

Manchester United all but won a record-breaking 19th League title with their latest victory over Chelsea




Premier League

Manchester United 2
  • Hernández 1,
  • Vidic 23
Chelsea 1
  • Lampard 68




  • Barry Glendenning
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 May 2011 14.55 BST <li class="history">Article history
    Frank-Lampard-runs-back-t-007.jpg
    Frank Lampard runs back towards the centre circle with the ball after pulling a goal back for Chelsea at Manchester United. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images

    Good afternoon all. With Chelsea just three points behind Manchester United with three games to go, this match is very much a potential title-decider. Should Chelsea lose, the jig is almost certainly up as far as Carlo Ancelotti's tilt at consecutive Premier League titles is concerned. Win and they'll leapfrog Manchester United to go top of the table on goal difference with two matches left to play: Newcastle at home and Everton away (after today's clash, Manchester United's remaining fixtures are away at Blackburn and at home to Blackpool).
    Picking a team to side with this afternoon is a puzzling dilemma for the neutral, what with there being plenty to dislike about both clubs, but a Chelsea win would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons and go a long way towards ensuring the title race won't be decided until the final day of the season, possibly by goal difference.
    The boys from Stamford Bridge will have their work cut out this afternoon, however, as Manchester United have only dropped two points at home all season and beat Chelsea at home and away in their recent Champions League quarter-final. They're 11-5 outsiders to win the game, with Manchester United favourites at 5-4 and the draw priced up at 23-10.
    Match pointers

    • No opposition player has scored a first-half goal at Old Trafford in the League since Joe Cole did so in this fixture in March 2010
    • Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against United – Liverpool (between December 2000 and January 2002) are the only side to have beaten them four times in a row
    • United need to win their final two home games to equal the record of 55 points (P19 W18 D1 L0) set by Chelsea during the 2005-06 campaign
    • Howard Webb has awarded United a penalty in three of the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford
    Team news: Fernando Torres is on the bench, with Didier Drogba in attack rather than their £50million Spaniard. United line up without left-back Patrice Evra, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. Sir Alex Ferguson retains only three members of the starting line-up that swept Schalke aside in midweek, with Fabio occupying one full-back berth, John O'Shea the other and Javier Hernandez in attack.
    Man Utd: Van der Sar, Fabio Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea,
    Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Hernandez.
    Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.
    Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, David Luiz, Cole, Mikel,
    Lampard, Essien, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
    Subs: Turnbull, Ramires, Torres, Benayoun, Ferreira, Alex, Anelka.
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    Match referee Howard Webb     Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
    Not too long now. With the sound of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot ringing around the stands of the Britannia Stadium, Stoke RFC have just put Arsenal to the sword in the second of this afternoon's preliminaries. If the main event is as entertaining as the two Premier League clashes that preceded it (Wolves 3-1 West Brom being the other one), we should in for a real treat.
    Office sweepstake: I've drawn fifth official and Chelsea skipper England's Brave John Terry to score the first goal. Go JT! *gets a little sick in mouth*
    Click-clack, click-clack,click-clack: The time for staring intently ahead, clapping hands and shouting "C'mon boys!" is over. The teams march out on to the Old Trafford sward and line up wearing the colours with which they're readily associated.
    1 min: Little Pea Javier Hernandez kneels in the centre-circle and gazes heavenwards for a quick pre-match pray, then Manchester United kick off playing away from the Stretford End. Within seconds, Chelsea win a free-kick for, I presume, an offside.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea (Hernandez 1) Javier Hernandez's prayers are answered within 30 seconds after Ryan Giggs plays a ball through the centre to Park Ji-sung, who helps it on its way past David Luiz, who was dumped on his backside, and into the path of the Mexican. Hernandez slots the ball past Petr Cech, into the bottom left-hand corner.
    3 min: What a sensational start for Manchester United, who have Chelsea on the ropes already. It was a marvellous goal, with Giggs and Park combining to eviscerate Chelsea down the middle, before sending Hernandez galloping clear past David Luiz, who is himself no slouch.
    4 min: According to Sky's man on the touchline, Geoff Shreeves, Carlo Ancelotti is holding David Luiz responsible for that goal. As soon it was scored, he summoned him for a bollocking, telling him to just get rid of the ball next time it came near him. Sideshow Bob proceeded to argue with him and now Ancelotti has ordered Alex to start warming up. He'll hardly subject his young centre-half to the indignity of being substituted this early, will he?
    6 min: Bloody hell, is there really only six minutes gone? It seems like a lot longer - this is real death-or-glory stuff. Didier Drogba fires off a shot despite the whistle having been blown for an infringment. He doesn't get booked, probably because the atmosphere at Old Trafford is so raucous, it's probably difficult to hear the whistle.
    7 min: Petr Cech keeps his side in the contest, diving low to his right to save a sensational Wayne Rooney strike from 25 yards that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Slack defending by Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel allowed the Manchester United striker to shoot; they were very slow to close him down, with each seeming to presume the other would take care of the situation.
    9 min: Chelsea are all over the place here. Their midfield is being over-run and now John Obi Mikel is forced to concede a free-kick by fouling Park after being beaten to a misplaced pass by Michael Essien.
    10 min: Hernandez goes close again. From the aforementioned free-kick, the ball is played to Park on the edge of the area, right hand side. He sends in a curling cross to the far post, where Javier Hernandez is lurking. The cross gets the faintest nick off David Luiz, which is enough to take it past Hernandez, who could and probably should have bundled it home from about four yards out.
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    13 min: Branislav Ivanovic gets booked for a desperate lunge on Wayne Rooney.
    14 min: On a lightning fast counter-attack, Antonio Valencia gallops up the inside right position with the ball at his feet, before squaring it to Wayne Rooney a couple of yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. With what seems like all the time in the world at his disposal, the Manchester United striker looks up, takes aim and fires ... a low drive a couple of feet wide of the left upright. First half possession stats thus far: Manchester United 60% Chelsea 40%.
    17 min: Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda combine well through the centre, but a promising looking Chelsea sortie into Manchester United territory breaks down when Dider Drogba attempts to curl the ball towards Salomon Kalou in the penalty area, only to send his pass straight towards the head of Nemanja Vidic.
    18 min: Edwin van der Sar is forced to leap high in the air Aussie Rules style to punch a cross from deep clear, but doesn't make much contact with the ball. He falls awkwardly Aussie Rules style too and while still on the ground, the ball drops to Malouda on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He shoots goalwards, but his effort is blocked by a defender.
    20 min: "Luiz is having a mare!" writes Jonny Mac. "It's going to be long afternoon for Chelsea back four ... when they decide to start the game of course." He is having a shocker alright - he's just got his second bollocking from Carlo Ancelotti, whose left eyebrow now has gone so skywards it's created a sort of impromptu Wembley-style arch over Old Trafford.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Vidic 23) Ivanovic gets caught flat-footed as Ryan Giggs sends in a cross from the left after jinking past a defender, allowing Nemanja Vidic to nod the ball home at the far post from five yards out.
    24 min: Chelsea almost pull one back from a corner of their own. The ball came in from the left, Kalou won the header and brought a decent save out of Van der Sar, who could only flap the ball towards his right upright. Ivanovic tried his luck with an acrobatic overhead kick, but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side-netting.
    26 min: This match is a belter - so action-packed I'm scarcely getting time to do it justice. The contribution of Giggs in their second goal can't be over-stated. He played a corner shortish, ran out of the quadrant to take the return pass, then jinked his way to the byline, from where he put in a cross so sublime that even I could have scored from it. Prio to the goal, Park Ji-sung had brought a smart save out of Cech with a long-range effort from the edge of the penalty area after cutting in from the left touchline. His opportunity presented itself after United had won a free-kick in Rooney territory, that the England striker strangely elected not to shoot from.
    30 min: Chelsea win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal. Didier Drogba gets the ball up over the wall and down, forcing Van der Sar to dive low to his left to bat it clear. With assorted Chelsea players charging in to capitalise on the rebound, it breaks kindly for United and John O'Shea hacks clear.
    32 min: Another free-kick for Chelsea, 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, a mite left of centre. Didier Drogba steps up again, but fails to get his shot on target. If he had he'd almost certainly have scored, because Edwin van der Sar looked rooted to a spot that was nowhere near the ball's flight-path.
    35 min: The camera cuts to Carlo Ancelotti, who looks very morose in his technical area.
    36 min: "A pretty girl next to me on the coach to Birmingham is also refreshing this page," writes David Chamberlain. "Can you tell her to take her headphones out and say hello?" Hey, you, pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham - take out your headphones and say hello to David Chamberlain, who is sitting next to you. Then email me and let us know how you get on.
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    38 min: Wayne Rooney gets booked for a foul that leaves David Luiz on the floor nursing a hip injury. If I was him I'd stay down and pray for a merciful release from my afternoon's embarrassment.
    40 min: Branislav Ivanovic is very lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a late, intentional trip on Wayne Rooney. Instead of dismissing the Chelsea right-back, Howard Webb takes Chelsea skipper John Terry to one side and orders him to have a word with his team-mate.
    41 min: Is anyone else wondering how things are going between David Chamberlain and the pretty girl sitting beside him on the bus to Birmingham? Assuming the bus isn't full, I'd imagine she's now moved to a different seat and is wondering whether or not she should call the police.
    43 min: Antonio Valencia goes close for Manchester United. No cigar.
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    44 min: Michael Essien's just been booked; I'm not sure why because I didn't see whatever it is he's supposed to have done. There'll be three minutes of added time in the first half.
    45+1: A Park Ji-sung cross from the left has too much welly on it and wafts over the heads of all waiting for it in the Chelsea penalty area and out of play.
    45+2 min: I really wouldn't like to be David Luiz right now. He's just made another mistake, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to give turn the serious stink-eye on him once again. The Chelsea centre-half is going to get the mother and father of all rollockings during half-time interval.
    Half-time: Carlo Ancelotti ambles down the touchline with a face like thunder after Howard Webb brings the curtain down on a massively entertaining first half. With Manchester United two goals to the good, ity'll be interesting to see how Ancelotti shuffles his deck at half-time. Luiz is having a shocker, Ivanovic is a red card waiting to happen and he's going to have to bring on Fernando Torres sooner rather than later if the reigning champions are to have any hope of pulling this one out of the fire.
    Half-time discussion: "Why isn't David Chamberlain asking the pretty girl sitting next to him on the bus to Birmingham to explain the offside law?" asks Peter Hillmore. "A perfect chatup line, I would have thought."
    The bus to Birmingham: "I just asked my girlfriend whether she would have been charmed by David's romantic endeavours," writes Michael Butler. "She said 'Depends how close they are to Birmingham'. Being from the West Midlands, I know what she means."
    "Please may you ask David Chamberlain, on the coach to Birmingham, who he is supporting?" asks Cressida Murden. Is she the pretty girl sitting next to David on the bus in question? I don't know.
    More emails: "Yes I do wonder how things are going on the bus to Birmingham," writes Hubert O'Hearn. If you provided a similar service for a lucky reader every MBM, would it be called ... Match of the Day?"
    "Could you mention that the reason Ryan Giggs is doing so brilliantly and setting up all these goals so well might well be all that Yoga he does?" asks Catie Halliday, who is not on a bus to Birmingham. "I'm not a PR for the DVD or anything, just my boyfriend is obsessed with his 'fitness' DVD. And it's not fitness, Barry, it's Yoga."
    MBM-substitution-001.jpg
    Second half: Ancelotti's rung the changes for Chelsea, replacing David Luiz with Alex and John Obi Mikel with Ramires. That leaves him with just one throw of the dice remaining. For Manchester United, Jonny Evans has come on for the apparently injured John O'Shea.
    46 min: Chelsea manage to go the opening minute of a half without conceding a goal, mainly by going on the attack themselves. Ramires and Lampard combine down the inside right flank, but their efforts are in vain when some loose passing allows United to clear.
    48 min: Rooney goes to ground after being obstructed by Branislav Ivanovic off the ball, who visibly altered his stride to ensure the Manchester United clattered into him as he attempted to run past him. I'll be astonished if Ivanovic is still on the pitch at full-time - if he's not substituted he looks a certainty to get sent off.
    50 min: From the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side, Ramires tries to curl in a low cross towards the far post. His effort is blocked.
    51 min: A poor clearance from inside the Manchester United penalty area is chested down to Florent Malouda by Michael Essien. He tries a shot from a couple of yards outside the box, but his low drive fizzes a foot wide of the right post.
    52 min: There's a huge shout for hand-ball as Frank Lampard blocks an Antonio Valencia cross from the right with his flailing arm. I don't think it was intentional, but he definitely raised his arm as he went to ground. That should have been a penalty.
    54 min: Nemanja Vidic dodges a bullet, not even conceding a free-kick for a mistimed tackle on Salomon Kalou that should have earned him a booking and Chelsea a free-kick just outside the Manchester United penalty area.
    55 min: This just in, from David Chamberlain, who you may remember is sitting next to a pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. "We've been having a nice chat," he says. "We're nearly in Brum now. In answer to previous questions, she's actually an Ipswich fan. She also has a boyfriend." Well, if she's an Ipswich Town fan, her boyfriend is probably also her brother. What's her name?
    57 min: Another missive from David Chamberlain: "Oh, and I'm a Leeds fan," he writes. "Come on Chelsea! Myself and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham have now gone our separate ways. Sigh." It seems kind of fitting that no romance blossomed between David and the pretty girl on the bus to Birmingham. No good could ever come of any minute-by-minute report match-making/meddling on my part.
    60 min: Ryan Giggs wins a corner off Ashley Cole, who's really having to earn his corn this afternoon and being made look very ordinary. The delivery isn't great and Essien lets the ball skim off his head and out for a throw-in.
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    61 min: Chelsea substitution: Salomon Kalou makes way for Fernando Torres, who arrives to chorus of jeers, boos and whistles.
    62 min: Although this half isn't as entertaining as the one that preceded it, Manchester United seem fairly comfortable and Chelsea are posing little or no threat.
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    63 min: It's three on three as Antonio Valencia slaloms down the right flank, advances into the penalty area and goes to ground under a challenge from John Terry. There's a huge shout for a penalty, but Howard Webb doesn't award one. Replays show it was probably the right decision.
    66 min: Dider Drogba controls a beautiful cross from Ashley Cole on the edge of the Manchester United penalty area, before shooting a low, diagonal effort wide of the right upright. If he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he handled the ball in the process of controlling the pass from Cole.
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    GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Lampard 67) Chelsea pull a goal back and give themselves a chance. Ramires delivers a cross from the right touchline, Ivanovic wins the header and Lampard stays onside to help the ball past Edwin van der Sar with a poke on the volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
    69 min: A sensational block from Alex keeps Chelsea in the game. With United having carved open the Chelsea defence once again, Javier Hernandez pulled the ball past Petr Cech to Rooney, who looked to have an empty goal into which to shoot from about six yards out. As the pass went slightly behind him, he had to adjust his feet, allowing Alex the seconds he needed to appear from nowhere and block the resulting shot. Brilliant defending.
    72 min: "Too bad for Chamberlain," writes Hubert O'Hearn. "But I'm willing to bet that someone uses this as a 'meet cute' scene in a movie. Who's going to play you in the film version?" Who's going to play me? It should probably be some Irishman with smouldering good looks, like Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne, but I won't be surprised if they plump for Brendan Gleeson or Colin Meaney.
    74 min: At the far post, Didier Drogba gets on the end of a Branislav Ivanovic cross from deep, but steers his header over the bar and onto the roof of the goal. Even if he'd scored it wouldn't have counted as he'd mistimed his run and was flagged for offside.
    76 min: Rio Ferdinand has taken a bang on the head and looks very groggy. So groggy, in fact, that his knees have buckled - he looks in a lot of distress. Moments later, Jonny Evans goes down after a collision with Ramires that leaves him looking unconscious. With Fabio also down injured, it looks like the set of Reservoir Dogs out there.
    79 min: With two of Manchester United's back four - Evans and Fabio - on the sideline waiting for permission to come back on after receiving treatment, Chelsea take a free-kick. Ivanovic sends in a cross from the right flank which Torres attempts to volley goalwards, but his effort is blocked. Howard Webb awards a free-kick to Manchester United for some indiscretion that only he appears to have seen.
    81 min: I've seen a replay of the incident that left Rio Ferdinand looking dazed, confused and walking on jelly-legs - he didn't actually collide with anyone, but sustained the injury as a result of a routine header out of defence. I'm always uncomfortable when I see players being allowed to play on after suffering a concussion. A couple of minutes ago neither Ferdinand nor Evans appeared to know what day of the week it is, but now they're allowed to carry on; that's just dangerous.
    83 min: Wayne Rooney goes close, but tries to Arsenal the ball around Petr Cech and into the net, rather than taking a pot-shot. Moments later he goes even closer, when his surface-to-air drive is deflected over the bar by Alex. Looks like it's not going to be Wayne's day.
    85 min: "Watching Giggs this year, with that mighty left peg of his, reminds me of a young prodigy that played left-back for Birr Town FC Under 14s in the late 80s," writes my mate Liam Power, who played right-back for Birr Town Under 14s in the late 80s. "Can't remember his name though."
    87 min: That Birr Town left-back was me, by the way. And I was rubbish. Hernandez blows a gilt-edged opportunity to kill off Chelsea's title challenge. Antonio Valencia, who's been magnificent this afternoon, drills in a cross from the right flank that the Little Pea somehow contrives to head over the bar when scoring looked easier. Moments later he misses another sitter after Ryan Giggs, who has also been magnificent this afternoon, tees him up.
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    89 min: Howard Webb brandishes his yellow card in the face of Didier Drogba, who looks slightly miffed but can have no complaints because he really clattered Michael Carrick. It looked for a moment as if he was going to get sent off, but Webb shows leniency.
    90+1 min: Antonio Valencia heaps further humiliation on Ashley Cole, nutmegging him as he goes on another yomp down the right flank. In space, Carrick screams for the ball, but the United winger tries to pick out Rooney instead and Chelsea clear.
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    90+2 mins: Substitution I forgot to mention a couple of minutes ago: Chris Smalling on, Fabio Da Silva off with some manner of foot injury that doesn't look too serious. We're halfway through four minutes of added time.
    90+4 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Manchester United have all but wrested the Premier League trophy back from Chelsea with a performance that oozed class from start to finish. Six points clear at the Premier League summit with two games to play, barring a complete collapse they're a certainty to beat their own and Liverpool's record of 18 League titles. They'll almost certainly win the title at Ewood Park in their next League excursion, before parading the trophy at Old Trafford on an afternoon that could also see them send Blackpool back down to the Championship.
    Right so, that's me done for the day - thanks for your time and your emails. It's been a good afternoon for Manchester United and the pretty girl from Ipswich with the made-up boyfriend on the bus to Birmingham, but not such a good afternoon for either Chelsea or cyber-stalking's David Chamberlain, who've both crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. But to be fair to David, he seems to have made a much better fist of playing the cards he was dealt than hapless Chelsea did with theirs.
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Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Posts of the Season!
 
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hasira ya magori haimuishi tu huyu mtoto
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walitaka kulitoa jembe letu kwa fitna lakini wakagonga mwamba
 
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