Premier League, Manchester United hold Chelsea 1-1: Records broken
Manchester United earned a 1-1 draw versus Chelsea in a crucial Premier League 2021-22 encounter at Old Trafford. Marcos Alonso fired Chelsea to the lead in the 60th minute with a spectacular volley. However, Cristiano Ronaldo slotted home an equalizer two minutes later. Chelsea had the best chances throughout the game in which they dominated. However, the Blues failed to convert the same.
How did the match pan out?
Chelsea dominated the first half at Old Trafford but were unable to find a way past De Gea. The Spaniard made saves from Kai Havertz and N'Golo Kante. Alonso finally scored a deserving goal for the Blues but the joy was short lived as Ronaldo humped his shot into the net from Nemanja Matic's brilliant ball into the box.
Why does this story matter?
This was another poor display from the home side. United could have been 2-3 goals down in the first half itself but need to thank Chelsea for missing the chances. David de Gea was excellent once again and Ronaldo salvaged a point. United's defensive frailties were exposed and Chelsea found a lot of joy on the right flank where Alex Telles was invisible.
25th Premier League draw between the two sides
Manchester United and Chelsea played out two 1-1 draws in the Premier League 2021-22 season. In the 2020-21 season, the two teams were involved in 0-0 affairs. As per Opta, United versus Chelsea is now the outright most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 25 of the meetings between them ending level. Notably, United tasted 4-0 and 2-0 wins in the 2019-20 season.
Notable feats attained by Alonso
As per Squawka, Alonso has scored five Premier League away goals since the start of the 2018-19 season (vs. Man Utd, vs. Bournemouth, vs. Man City, vs. Southampton, vs. Man Utd). Alonso had earlier scored on April 28, 2019 at Old Trafford in a 1-1 draw. He has now matched the tally on the exact date in what was a familiar result.
United unbeaten at home versus Chelsea since Ferguson's retirement
Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Chelsea have failed to beat United at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Man United's results against Chelsea at home read as DDWWDWDD. As per William Hill, Rafael Benítez was the last Chelsea manager to win at Old Trafford.
17 Premier League goals for Ronaldo this season
Ronaldo netted his 17th Premier League goal in the 2021-22 season. He is now the joint-second highest scorer this season alongside Son Heung-min. Ronaldo has 23 goals for United this season in all competitions. Ronaldo has netted eight of United's last nine goals.
