Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte made no effort to hid his dismay after the Blues slumped to a 2-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Sunday’s loss making it all the more difficult for the West Londoners to finish in the top-four of the Premier League.
“We are disappointed with the final result,” Conte stated at his post-match presser as he continued, “We had a great chance to get three points against a competitor for a place in the Champions League, but in the end we are talking about another defeat”.
“When you have this type of situation, you have to manage the game better, and you must be able, with experience and maturity, to get three points. Instead we are talking about a loss. We are very disappointed about this.”
Chelsea winger Willian continued his incredible goalscoring form with a powerful finish past David de Gea to break the deadlock just after the half-hour mark but Romelu Lukaku would score a scrappy equaliser in the 39th minute to ensure the sides were level at half-time.
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Post the interval, United did show some urgency and deservedly took the lead when substitute Jesse Lingard came up with a glancing header at the near-post 15 minutes from time after some stellar work on the wing from former Chelsea striker Lukaku.
Conte was asked about the possibility of the Blues finishing outside the top-four as they find themselves in fifth place with 10 games left to play in the Premier League and the Italian admitted he was worried as he responded, “It’s a possibility, for sure. I am repeating the same concept many times. In this league getting a place in the Champions League is not simple. This country has the only championship where you can find six teams who start the season by fighting to win the title or getting a place in the Champions League. It’s very hard for every team.”
Star winger Eden Hazard was subbed off minutes before Lingard’s strike but Conte insisted the change was made as he felt the Belgian was getting a little leggy in the second-half and nothing should be read into the change.
“It was a tactical decision. You have to keep the same performance for 90 minutes. We didn’t have a great balance. Every single player has to try to work with and without the ball, otherwise we lose our balance and then we lose the game,” Conte revealed on the topic of Hazard’s substitution as he continued, “His energy finished. In the first half he ran a lot, and in the second half he started in the same way, but when I see a player is a bit tired my task is to find a different solution”.
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After Lingard nodded in at the near post in the 75th minute, Jose Mourinho parked the bus as United sought to close out the game.
And despite the fact that the hosts were defending deep and in numbers, Alvaro Morata did find the back of the net with a tidy finish, only to see his goal incorrectly ruled out for offside.
“This type of situation can change the final result. For this reason, I am very positive about introducing VAR, especially in England, Conte stated on the controversial incident as he added, “We need to have this new system to help the referee and avoid big mistakes”.
With their disappointing loss in Manchester, Chelsea drop to fifth place, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and a further two behind third-placed Liverpool while United are six clear of the Blues.
As the Reds and Lilywhites have revitalised their campaigns, Chelsea have looked stuck in second gear of late and while the Blues are very much still in the race to make the top-four, the defending champions have an uphill task on their hands as they bid to play the UEFA Champions League next year.