EPL title race heats up as Chelsea loses at United
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| Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic in action with Chelsea's Gary Cahill during an English Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea in Old Trafford Stadium, Britain on April 16, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] |
MANCHESTER - A tactical masterclass from Jose Mourinho ensured the path to the English Premier League title will no longer be a procession for his former club, Chelsea.
Only four points separate Chelsea and second-placed Tottenham with six games left after Manchester United's 2-0 win over the lackluster leaders opened up the title race on Sunday. At one stage four weeks ago after a 2-1 win over Stoke, Chelsea held a 13-point lead.
It was a signature win for Mourinho near the end of his first season at United. He detailed Ander Herrera and Matteo Darmian to man-mark Chelsea forwards Eden Hazard and Pedro Rodriguez, made the bold call to start Marcus Rashford ahead of top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and played two youngsters — Rashford and winger Jesse Lingard — up front in a surprise move.
The decisions paid off brilliantly, with Rashford and Herrera scoring the goals and being the star performers at Old Trafford. Chelsea didn't have a shot on target in a league game for the first time in nearly a decade. Hazard barely had a meaningful touch.
"I think it was almost perfect," Herrera said.
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