Manchester United eye top four after controversial win at Chelsea

Manchester United moved up to seventh in the Premier League after a controversial 2-0 win at fourth-placed Chelsea on Monday.

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Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire scored the goals for United but Chelsea had two goals ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Maguire avoided being sent off for a kick on Michy Batshuayi.

United are now just two points behind Tottenham in fifth and three behind Chelsea themselves.

But it was VAR and its interpretation that had commentators talking after the match ended.

“Harry Maguire should have been sent off, that’s clear, and that obviously changes the game,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said.

“[Cesar] Azpilicueta gets shoved so the goal [by Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma] should stand. [Olivier] Giroud was a toenail offside and that one I understand. that’s the rule now.

“I don’t get why they aren’t looking at the monitor. It should be used.”

Chelsea lost N’Golo Kante to injury within 10 minutes and things steadily got worse from there.

Maguire escaped a booking after he appeared to kick out at Batshuayi, an incident that could have seen him sent off.

“I know I caught him and I felt he was going to fall on me and my natural reaction was to straighten my leg to stop him,” United captain Maguire said. 

“It wasn’t a kick-out and there was no intent. I think it’s the right decision. I knew I’d caught him but that I had no intent to hurt him. It was just a natural reaction. I apologized to him and it was nice that the referee saw sense.”

Martial then rubbed salt into Chelsea’s wounds with a fine opening goal, flicking a header into the corner from a superb cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Chelsea thought they had levelled the scores on 56 minutes when Zouma turned the ball home from a corner.

But his goal was ruled out by VAR for a push by Cesar Azpilicueta on Brandon Williams, even though replays showed Fred had pushed Azpilicueta into Williams.

Maguire headed the second goal from a Bruno Fernandes’ corner 10 minutes later.

Chelsea were denied a goal by VAR for a second time when Giroud, who had headed them a lifeline on 77 minutes, was adjudged to have been marginally offside.

Odion Ighalo came off the bench to make his United debut and almost scored a third late on.

Lampard said he felt his side had been hard done by.

“Tough to take on lots of levels, some footballing, some others,” he said. 

“It’s football and it’s life. I’m not complaining about any work ethic from the lads, their heads are down in there. It’s a tough night for us. It’s not a 2-0 game.” 

Maguire said the points were vital for United as they continue to try to push for a top-four spot.

“It was a solid performance,” he said. “We knew we had to get the win to close the gap. It’s a big three points.

“This season we’ve been far too inconsistent. We’ve let ourselves down when the pressure has been on to break teams down. We’re not getting carried away and the pressure is on to get three points.”