United Claws Back From The Dead

Chelsea 3 Manchester United 3
Scorers
Chelsea: Evans (og 36), Mata (46), Luiz (50)
Manchester United: Rooney (pen 58, pen 69), Hernandez (84)


Team: De Gea, Rio, Evans, Rafael (Scholes 64), Evra, Carrick, Giggs, Young (Hernandez 53), Valencia, Rooney, Welbeck (Park 84)

My word, what a game. Kinda still living the moment. After falling 3-0 down, against a motivated Chelsea team, we had no right to come back into the game, yet we did. Our lads never know what defeat is and we clawed our back to level the game.

Against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was not my idea of a walk in the park. They came in with their pride wounded and a squad decimated by suspensions and injuries and really showed us up by going 3-0 by the 50th minute.

The first came before half time when Sturridge squirmed his way past Evra and his cross was deflected into the net by Evans.

The next two came in quick succession in the second half. Mata fired an unstoppable shot and Luiz added a third when his goal-bound header was deflected in by Rio. Before we even knew what hit us, we were staring down the abyss of a 3 goal deficit. The match should have been dead and buried.

Yet, credit to the team for not hanging their shoulders. They fought and forced the issue. Evra was bundled over in the box  and referee, Howard Webb, pointed to the spot. It looked abit dubious, but we were grasping for straw and would take anything coming our way.

Rooney stepped up, despite missing his last two spot kicks, and put it away. The unlikely comback had started.

Next, it was Welbeck who was felled by Ivanovic in the box and Webb again pointed to the spot despite the protestations of the Chelsea players. This time Rooney sent the ball the other way to close the gap to a single goal.

Cech was in fine form and kept the visitors at bay, but the champions were not to be denied. When Giggs' cross came in on the 84th minute, Hernandez rose the highest to pull the teams level. The comeback was complete.

We had to endure a rather rough patch as Chelsea steamed forward to find the winner but De Gea acquitted himself well with a flurry of fine saves to preserve his tattered reputation.

The game ended with the spoils shared, but it was definitely a case of a point won and not two lost.

We may have dropped some points in the title race, but it was a performance to keep our noisy neighbours in sight and in mind.