LONDON – When the dust settles this season, Chelsea and Manchester United fans might look back on their meeting at Stamford Bridge in April as a sliding doors moment.
Two teams fighting for a place in the UEFA Champions League. Two young coaches, Liam Rosenior and Michael Carrick, are trying to improve long-term job prospects at their respective clubs.
It was a hugely important match that was decided by narrow margins and it was United who came out on top.
Matheus Cunha scored the only goal in a 1-0 win as Carrick's side took a big step towards a return to Europe's top club competition. Qualification will certainly not hurt the former England midfielder's chances of earning a full-time job.
Meanwhile, Chelsea face the prospect of missing out on the Champions League. What that would mean for Rosenior's future is less clear.
However, there is no doubt that there is growing anger in the stands directed at everything from the owners to the coach to the players.
The frustration perhaps increased because before kick-off, this looked like an opportunity for Chelsea. With Enzo Fernandez back following his club's suspension imposed by Rosenior, they faced a depleted United side recovering from a home defeat to Leeds United on Monday.
With Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martínez suspended and Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt unavailable, Carrick could only field one centre-back in 19-year-old Ayden Heaven. He was joined in the center of defense by Noussair Mazraoui, normally a full-back, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw on either side.
Chelsea hit the crossbar twice, had a goal disallowed for offside and shot 21 times. United survived, and that was largely due to the performances of Heaven and Mazraoui, who hugged each other tired but joyful throughout the match.
It was only United's second clean sheet in their last 22 away league games and a stadium where they had won only one of their previous 12 league visits.
“They were fantastic,” Carrick said of Heaven and Mazraoui. “Two fantastic players, and it was about giving them the confidence to commit and give their best. We gave them a bit of extra protection as a team.
“The guys took it really well. I love when you see players thrive in those moments, it's a tough place to get to.”
Carrick may not have many centre-backs, but they have arguably the best player in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes was once again the main creator, setting up Cunha's goal just before the break. That's now 18 assists for Fernandes this season, two shy of the single-season Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Cunha's shot was United's only shot on target, but when you play against a team that doesn't score, it's all you need.
Chelsea have lost three consecutive league games without scoring for the first time since 1998. Perhaps more worryingly, they have not won a league game at Stamford Bridge since January.
With 15 minutes left, the atmosphere became toxic. Chants of “We want our Chelsea back” came from all four sides of the stadium, followed by chants directed at co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
Before kick-off, around 1,000 fans protested the club's property, a significant jump from numbers at a similar protest in January.
“Tonight is a really difficult result to accept,” Rosenior said after the game. “They had a chance. We've had wave after wave of attacks. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to turn this around. We were dominant from the first moment to the last.
“It's very frustrating. They've had one shot on goal. I don't remember another chance they've had. We know what we need to improve.”
The result leaves Chelsea sixth in the table and four points behind Liverpool, who have a game less.
Rosenior admitted he “doesn't know” what missing the Champions League would mean for his future and summer transfer plans. However, they are well aware that it will be difficult to be in the top five from now on with only five games left.
“It gives us a mountain to climb,” he said. “It's not insurmountable, but it's a mountain to climb.”
Carrick was understandably much more upbeat during his post-match media duties.
While Chelsea face the prospect of a season without the huge revenues on offer in the Champions League, United are almost there. Third in the table, 10 points ahead of Chelsea, they will almost cross the line if they manage to beat Brentford and Liverpool in their next two games.
“Tonight was a big, important win for us,” Carrick said. “Overcoming suspensions and injuries and [Yoro] retiring quite late and having to adapt. There are many things to be proud of tonight.
“The guys take a lot of credit for that, and the coaches, in terms of putting the plan together and adjusting over the last few days and making sure everyone was in a good place.”
After what could become a crucial night for the future of both clubs and their managers, United are in pole position to return to the Champions League and Carrick has boosted his own chances of staying in the job. For Chelsea and Rosenior, it's the complete opposite.
