Antonio Conte is wandering around the pitch, celebrating with his players, bumping chests with them, slapping hands, pumping his fists, saluting the crowd. What a win for the Italian, who was feeling the heat after a tough week. Chelsea deserved this. They were miles ahead of Manchester United today and could have won by more than one goal. In the end, though, Alvaro Morata’s splendid second-half header was enough for the champions to stay nine points behind Manchester City. United, meanwhile, are eight points behind the Premier League leaders after another appalling performance away to a big side under Jose Mourinho, who was woefully short of ideas today. Thanks for reading and emailing. Bye.
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Full-time: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
It’s all over! Chelsea have beaten Jose Mourinho again at Stamford Bridge.
90 min+5: Rashford’s corner is deep. Chelsea struggle to clear. But they do, and...
90 min+4: Rashford’s free-kick flicks off the wall and flies inches over the angle of post and bar! Corner to United!
90 min+3: Another United attack breaks down and Chelsea counter, Willian knocking a pass through to Morata, who falls over his own feet. Wow. Back come United, going long, and Chelsea concede a free-kick 25 yards from goal!
90 min+2: HIT MAROUANE.
90 min+1: Fellaini was screaming for a penalty, too, after challenging for a cross with Cahill. He felt the Chelsea defender was holding him. Anthony Taylor was unmoved.
90 min: Bailly whacks a long, straight ball into the United area. Fellaini velcros the ball down with his chest after a misjudgement from Christensen, but he scuffs his shot and Courtois manages to push it away! United finally threaten! They’ll have four more minutes to save themselves here! Chelsea, understandably after the week they’ve had, are nervous now.
88 min: Chelsea have pulled back now. Conte is on the touchline, bellowing instructions. United, you fancy, want to load the box. In it comes. The ball’s headed on, but Courtois is commanding enough.
87 min: United start to pump the ball into the Chelsea area. Fellaini can’t reach a high cross, but Valencia keeps it in on the right. His cross is only headed as far Rashford, 18 yards out, and his shot whistles inches wide of the right post. Courtois was motionless. Willian replaces Hazard, who, like Fabregas, was excellent.
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85 min: Chelsea have lost a bit of fluency since Fabregas’s withdrawal. They’re still looking comfortable, though. Willian is getting ready to come on.
84 min: Rashford’s deep cross has too much oomph on it and the ball evades Fellaini at the far post.
82 min: The free-kick’s sent high into the United box. It bounces down to Cahill, whose tame shot rolls through to De Gea. United probably need to get into Chelsea’s half if they’re going to score. Fellaini sprays a pass out for a throw.
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81 min: Herrera, already booked for a foul on Hazard, bumps into the back of Hazard. United have been execrable in the second half.
80 min: Rudiger’s bending cross deceives everyone, including De Gea, but the ball drifts past the far post. Meanwhile Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made it Everton 2-2 Watford.
79 min: Danny Drinkwater replaces the magnificent Cesc Fabregas.
78 min: United make their final change, Jesse Lingard on for Ashley Young.
77 min: United’s attempts to find an equaliser have been risible so far. Chelsea still look likelier to score a second. As long as the hosts let it stay at 1-0, though, United have hope of snatching a goal. They have enough quality on the pitch.
76 min: Another chance for Chelsea to wrap up the points comes and goes, Hazard skittering through the middle, ignoring Morata to his right and trying to catch out De Gea with a bending shot. The Spaniard plunges to his right to save.
75 min: Fellaini, who has been a clown since coming on, dawdles in possession, failing to realise that Bakayoko was up his back. The Chelsea midfielder steals the ball off him and surges towards goal, only to shoot wide from 18 yards.
74 min: Oumar Niasse has hauled Everton back into it at Goodison Park, where Watford lead 2-1.
73 min: It’s not over yet, but my simple analysis is this: what a difference N’Golo Kante makes.
72 min: Fellaini’s booked for jabbing an elbow in Morata’s jaw. The oaf.
71 min: A corner to United on the left. Rashford can’t beat the first man, but Morata’s clearance goes behind. He gets another opportunity. This one’s better, but Fellaini fouls Courtois. “As a member of the “biased” media, should this result hold, could you give us some inside perspective on where the crisis baton will be passed next?” says Byron Adu-Boakye. You’ve seen the Everton score, right?
70 min: Christian Kabasele has made it Everton 0-2 Watford. Oh dear.
69 min: The corner’s cleared as far as Herrera, who volleys wide from 20 yards.
68 min: Fellaini makes a nuisance of himself on the edge of the area and the ball comes to Rashford, whose shot’s deflected wide.
67 min: Hazard dribbles down the right and feeds Bakayoko, who knocks a cross straight at De Gea.
66 min: Antonio Rudiger replaces Davide Zappacosta. Cesar Azpilicueta moves to right wing-back.
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65 min:
Busquets
Fellaini, looking to calm things down on the edge of the United area, coolly overruns the ball and loses it to Fabregas, whose slide tackle diverts possession to Morata on the right. However he gets himself in a muddle.
62 min: United make that double change, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini replacing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Phil Jones. United have reverted to a back four.
61 min: Morata pressures Bailly into conceding a corner on the left. Chelsea have been excellent. The corner comes to nothing, though.
60 min: Mourinho is going to bring on Martial and Fellaini soon.
59 min: Lukaku tries to barrel into the area from the left, but Christensen isn’t fazed, calmly getting his body in the way of the United striker and letting the ball run out for a goal-kick. Chelsea haven’t missed David Luiz so far. Christensen does look like a very fine prospect.
58 min: That, by the way, was Morata’s first goal since the win over Atletico Madrid on 27 September. He’d gone six games without finding the back of the net.
57 min: On a booking, Jones trips Morata near halfway. The home fans howl for a second yellow. It would have been harsh. It’s easy, though, to see a United player getting himself sent off here.
56 min: Mourinho is jotting some thoughts down on his notepad. He won’t have failed to notice how his team is being outplayed and outnumbered in midfield. Will he bring on Fellaini? On Sky, Gary Neville has been hammering Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s contribution.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United (Morata, 55 min)
This is magnificent! With Manchester United all over the place, Cesar Azpilicueta romps down the inside right channel, no one bothering to engage him. United’s midfield has totally disappeared. Azpilicueta curls a delightful ball into the box. Bakayoko’s run from left to right pulls Smalling out of the middle, leaving Morata all alone, Bailly nowhere near him. Morata still has a lot to do, around 12 yards from goal, but he plants a stunning header into the top left corner, De Gea rooted to the spot!
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54 min: Fabregas dinks a cross into the middle from the left. The unmarked Hazard swipes goalwards from 15 yards, without taking a touch to control, but he shoots straight at De Gea! Another chance goes begging.
53 min: United are looking ragged here. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the game at Everton and can report that Everton’s form has made no improvement,” says JR in Illinois. “They look like they’re being controlled by an 8 year old on a Playstation. They have just gone down 0-1 to Watford after a Richarlison goal.”
51 min: Fabregas’s free-kick is an underhit disappointment. It’s not long, though, before Herrera reacquaints himself with Hazard, cynically tripping the Belgian. Herrera, remember, was sent off for his treatment of Hazard in the FA Cup last season. He’s booked for this one. This is pathetic from United, who have received three yellow cards for fouls on Hazard since the start of the second half.
50 min: It’s Matic’s turn to foul Hazard, this time on the right.
49 min: Bakayoko scoops a pass on to the chest of Morata, who turns and volleys wide from 20 yards. Moments later Jones wildly chops Hazard down in the middle. He’s booked.
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46 min: Chelsea get the second half underway. Both sides are unchanged. United make a positive start to the second half, Rashford spinning down the left. Azpilicueta’s across to shepherd the ball out of play, though, so Anthony Taylor awards a corner. It’s a poor decision, so he makes up for it by spotting some United pushing in the middle.
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United
It’s goalless, but it’s good. Chelsea have had the better of it, though, and the sight of Tiemoue Bakayoko walking off with his head in his hands shows how disappointed he still is about that early miss.
44 min: Valencia barges Hazard over on the left. Conte’s furious. Anthony Taylor has to calm him down.
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43 min: This has been a strong performance from Chelsea so far. They look to be playing for Conte.
40 min: Fabregas whips the corner in and Christensen escapes Herrera, only to shoulder the ball over the bar from six yards! Chelsea have spurned a couple of great opportunities.
39 min: Bailly turns Alonso’s low cross behind for a corner on the left.
38 min: Some of the early zip has disappeared from the match. I suspect Mourinho wasn’t too happy with how open it was in the first 20 minutes. United have taken a step back and looked to tighten up.
36 min: Morata’s right sleeve is torn. That is all.
34 min: Fabregas lobs a pass into the area. Morata falls over because someone was near him.
32 min: Fabregas threads a pass through to Morata on the left, but the striker’s lacking belief and his tame low shot doesn’t trouble De Gea.
31 min: After some minor intrigue, the ball comes through to Courtois. Mourinho leaves his seat for a bit and has a wander round the technical area before sitting down again. More when we have more.
30 min: Chelsea defend well against Lukaku on the right, crowding him out with impressive intensity, but Alonso proceeds to send a clearance straight to Herrera. His shot’s blocked, but United win a coner.
27 min: A lull. But Chelsea are beginning to enjoy a lot of possession.
25 min: Morata shimmies away from Smalling on the right, too easily for Mourinho’s liking, but his cutback doesn’t reach Fabregas. Moments later Fabregas swings a cross into the area, but Bailly’s nudge on Morata steers the Chelsea striker away from the ball.
22 min: Rashford’s deep free-kick interests Matic, who would love a goal today, but Courtois gathers without too much of an argument.
21 min: Now Kante slides in late on Mkhitaryan, banging the United midfielder on the knee. He escapes with a caution.
20 min: Bakayoko plays a one-two with Morata before clattering into Jones on the edge of the area, unable to halt his momentum. Jones felt that one. He stays down for a while. Yellow for Bakayoko.
19 min: The corner’s taken short. Hazard engages a couple of United defenders, waits for them to commit themselves and scoots inside past Valencia. The ball’s on his left foot and he smashes a rising drive towards the top right corner from 20 yards. De Gea pushes it into the air and the ball spins to the right. The goal’s gaping, but the angle’s tight for Fabregas, who sends a downward header into the side netting. Some Chelsea fans think it’s in, but it’s an illusion. What a smashing game this is, though. Vintage Mourinho.
18 min: Morata, falling over, somehow conjures an absurd volleyed back flick out to Hazard on the right. The Belgian dinks inside before finding Bakayoko, who has another shot blocked. Then Zappacosta wins a corner on the right.
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16 min: Lukaku has been quiet so far, but here he is. The striker powers away from his Christensen, rolling him too easily, and lets fly from 20 yards. Courtois is equal to the bending shot, though, diving to his right to push the ball to safety.
14 min: You wonder if Manchester City’s victory has increased the pressure on both teams to win here, forcing them to play more expansively. This entertaining start is highly welcome. “Is Morata channeling Diego Costa or what? He’s looking pretty frisky out there,” says JR in Illinois. “The list of things that get me to root for Chelsea is very short but when the opposing manager is Jose Mourinho that is reason #1.”
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13 min: Bakayoko surges into more open green and shoots from 20 yards. A deflection takes the ball spinning wide. De Gea punches Fabregas’s corner away.
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12 min: This game is bewilderingly open. United are struggling at the back. A long ball down the right finds Zappacosta in acres of space. His bouncing low centre finds Morata and when the ball runs away from the striker, Smalling exerting enough pressure, it comes to Bakayoko, who looks certain to score. Instead he leans back and wafts high and wide from close range! What a miss!
8 min: Young makes inroads down the left again. This time he checks back on to his right foot and hangs a curling cross to the far post, where Rashford is unmarked, Chelsea’s defence dozing off. Courtois does enough to put him off with a star jump, though, and Rashford, his eyes closed, heads over. He probably should have scored. Still, what an open start from United. Take that, specialists!
7 min: Alonso swings a teasing ball into the United box from the left. Phil Jones is in a vintage Phil Jones-esque position, making it difficult for him to clear, and the defender ends up slamming the ball past De Gea and into the United net. Luckily for him, Anthony Taylor has spotted a slight nudge in the back from Morata and rules out the goal.
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6 min: “Ethan Ampadu over David Luiz?” says Justin Kavanagh. “That’s no big mystery, Jacob: Conte prefers a trendy hairdo and Luiz is losing his mofro.”
5 min: The camera picks out David Luiz in the seats behind the Chelsea dugout. The Brazilian is heavily wrapped up.
4 min: Young runs at Zappacosta on the left. He reaches the byline, but the Italian concedes a corner, which comes to nothing.
2 min: Smalling goes in late on Morata on the left, conceding a free-kick. United were already a goal down by this point last season. The current state of affairs already represents improvement. Fabregas stands over the free-kick, though. Up trot the big men. But Fabregas decides to roll a pass across the Kante, the matchwinner in the FA Cup last season, and the returning midfielder tests De Gea’s reactions with a shot from 25 yards. De Gea dives to his left to save.
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Peep! Manchester United kick off in red shirts and white shorts, attacking the Matthew Harding Stand in the first half. A roar greets the first whistle. Chelsea are, of course, in blue.
Before play, a minute’s silence in honour of remembrance. The players huddle in the middle, the crowd falls silent. Then, applause.
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Here come the teams, marching out to the Liquidator. Jose Mourinho, smiling, warmly greets a few Chelsea players. He’s all sweetness and light. That mood’s bound to last!
Try as I might, I’m struggling to see the tactical reasoning behind Ethan Ampadu being picked over David Luiz. Ethan Ampadu! David Luiz! A 17-year-old with one senior appearance to his name! Versus a 30-year-old Brazilian international and former European champion! Perhaps one of you can enlighten me.
Jose Mourinho is asked about Chelsea’s problems. “This is what happens in big clubs when you have one bad result. It is always big. Big clubs are used to it and they know how to react and that is what we did when we lost to Huddersfield. You have to respect big players, individual players and top opponents. I will be very happy if Chelsea doesn’t care about Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Mkhitaryan, I will be very happy. We are going to try to win the match, but Hazard, Morata, Batshuayi, Willian, if we don’t respect these players we will be in trouble.”
Antonio Conte is asked about the reasoning behind David Luiz’s exclusion from the squad. “Nothing. It is a tactical decision. A tactical decision. Christensen is in good form and we have Ampadu, who is a good player. The club likes to bring in a young player. I think Manchester United is a really good team and they want to try to win, like us.”
Manchester City have beaten Arsenal 3-1 thanks to goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus. It’s a win that means that Manchester United are eight points behind the league leaders at kick-off. I doubt it will change whatever plan Mourinho has up his sleeve, but it’s a gap that heightens the pressure on United in west London. Chelsea, meanwhile, are 12 points behind City.
Pre-match reading
No David Luiz for Chelsea. At all. Sky are saying that he’s been dropped, although the Brazilian did have strapping on his right leg after the Roma defeat. One to watch. For the time being, though, the focus is on Conte’s starting 11. Andreas Christensen comes into the back three, Davide Zappacosta replaces Antonio Rudiger and N’Golo Kante, fit again after a hamstring injury, replaces Pedro.
Manchester United are unchanged from the win over Tottenham
, which means they line up in a 9-0-1 formation
. There are goals in that side, even though Paul Pogba and Juan Mata are missing. Please alert the authorities if you’ve seen Victor Lindelof.
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Team news
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Hazard; Morata. Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Ampadu, Drinkwater, Willian, Pedro, Batshuayi.
Manchester United: De Gea; Jones, Smalling, Bailly; Valencia, Matic, Herrera, Young; Mkhitaryan, Lukaku, Rashford. Subs: Romero, Blind, Darmian, Fellaini, McTominay, Lingard, Martial.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Antonio Conte, 48, versus Jose Mourinho, 54. You might have heard that these two don’t like each other very much and, after the Mourinho digs and subtle hair-related references, it’s all set up for them to take their touchline feud to a new level at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. That, after all, is what we’re here for, right? The chance to see two grown men squaring up to each other, only for the fourth official to tell them it ain’t worth it, is the stuff of dreams. It’s what you want to see when Chelsea and Manchester United lock horns. Forget about the football, we’re all here for the mind games.
Of course, the focus on the sour relationship between Conte and Mourinho is to be expected. Firstly, and most obviously, because it turns out that Mourinho used to sit in Conte’s seat, but also because of the strong possibility that the bitter air in the dugouts may well be more interesting than anything happening on the pitch. This is a fine opportunity for United to earn their first win at the Bridge since a controversial 3-2 victory in October 2012. Chelsea are feeling sore after their midweek collapse in Rome, the pressure on Conte is growing, Roman Abramovich is snooping around the training ground and the champions are defending poorly, conceding 10 goals in their last six games. United, meanwhile, are strong at the back and have enviable options in attack. Given that Roma scored three at Stamford Bridge and Watford scored two, this assignment ought to have no fears for United. But we all know how Mourinho likes to set up in these big games, especially on the road.
Now, when the defensive approach comes off, as it did against Tottenham last week, Mourinho looks like the genius that he unmistakably is. It’s worth pointing out that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on solidity, especially in an age when good defending seems like a minor priority for a lot of teams. At the same time, however, the limitations of Mourinho’s restrictive mindset were sorely evident in that goalless draw at Anfield last month, when United’s decision to wait for Liverpool’s mistakes meant that they didn’t do enough to test a defence that conceded five against Manchester City, four against Tottenham and one against West Ham. A point at Anfield is nothing to be sniffy about, of course, and some of the analysis of United’s recent games has left Mourinho seething, mocking the specialists and the poets and the dreamers, even picking fights with his own fans. It’s so unfair! The problem, though, is that a point isn’t necessarily enough when City are setting such a terrifying pace at the top, while Mourinho’s cause is hardly helped by his recent record away to his rivals: two 0-0s at Liverpool, one at City, a 2-1 defeat at Spurs, a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal and, most galling of all, a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea last year.
How Mourinho would love to gain revenge for that humbling by his old side, who also knocked United out of the FA Cup last season. But the memory of that game might inform his plan here, while it might also provide Chelsea with some encouragement and remind them that they are actually pretty good at football. Chelsea, remember, were last season’s runaway champions. As usual, their title defence has been pretty underwhelming so far. They’ve been derailed by injuries, suspensions and a disappointing transfer window, and there’s a growing sense that Conte isn’t long for this job. This, however, is a chance for them to regain their mojo, for Eden Hazard to rediscover that glorious strut, for Alvaro Morata to find his shooting boots. Forget about Rome, Chelsea are bound to be up for this one, against the manager who had to be fired because of something called “palpable discord”. That’s one way of setting this up. Another is that the delight Mourinho would take in showing Conte, Abramovich and everyone else inside Stamford Bridge just how special he still is.
Kick-off: 4.30pm.
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