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Post match reaction: Chelsea 3 - 3 Manchester United! Both teams battle to thrilling draw on Super Bowl Sunday

What a massive leap for our third goal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)


What an amazing game. A really fantastic display of football. Having been sucker punched after the break by two Chelsea goals making the margin 3:0, Manchester United came storming back. Two penalties for the second game in a row, both converted by Wayne Rooney, and a header from Chicharito leveled the game with under ten minutes left.

After that, the game was anyone's. Chelsea had the better of this period forcing two brilliant saves from the much talked about David De Gea.

He did not let us down. First a free kick from Juan Mata was heading for the top corner (And I mean the top corner). Goalkeepers should not be saving those. De Gea somehow deflected it away.

Next, Gary Cahill on his Chelsea Debut powered an effort that De Gea tipped over. That is why he is one of the best GK prospects in the world.

Early on though, he seemed nervous. He punched a ball a 10 yr old could have caught, adding to the doubters worries. (Me being one of them)

And Chelsea's opening goal deflected off the keeper onto a helpless Jonny Evans. To be fair, there was not much the Spaniard could have done. Daniel Sturridge skinned a poor Patrice Evra far too easily, and poked the ball towards goal, onto the keeper's leg and off a helpess Evans.

1-0 at Half time.

Star-divide

Chelsea came storming out. within two minutes Evra got sucked inside and Fernando Torres was left in space to cross freely. The game's best goal came when an unmarked Mata hammered home a volley with perfect technique.

And David Luiz headed home a 3rd from a free kick. The Brazilian defender nudged Evra out of his way and was thus left unmarked. It looked like Chelsea's game. But you can never count out United.

On came Chicharito for the poor Ashley Young, and shortly after Paul Scholes came on for Rafael. Antonio Valencia moved to RB and United adopted a 4-3-3 approach.

The influential Strurrdge brought down Evra and Rooney smashed home the subsequent Penalty. Soon after a second penalty was awarded after Luiz fouled Danny Welbeck. Rooney went the other way this time. 3-2 Chelsea

United ramped up the pressure, and the equalise came when Ryan Giggs crossed for a leaping Hernandez to head home.

But credit must go to David De Gea. He really kept us in it at the end. Most keepers could not get near that free kick. Fair play to the lad.

All in all, I think this is a point picked up instead of two dropped. City are now two points clear, but a loss would have been demoralizing. What do you think on today's thriller?

Poll
Manchester United's M.O.T.M
David De Gea
44 votes
Wayne Rooney
37 votes
Javier Hernandez
20 votes
Danny Welbeck
1 votes
Other (Post in the comments)
5 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 35 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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First off

I want to apolagize for the shamless SuperBowl mention: Traffic and all that…..

I went with De Gea, because those saves he made were out of the very top draw. The FK was destined for a goal. It was literally right in the top corner

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 6:46 PM GMT reply actions  

"All in all, I think this is a point picked up instead of two dropped".

Absolutely, if anyone dropped points it was Chelsea blowing a 3-0 lead. But WOW what a game being able to get a point in a place that has been our kryptonite it huge as we try to win the title in the late streaches of the game.

And it was David De Gea who sealed the points for us stopping the late shot from Juan Mata. I’m proud of that man today.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 6:52 PM GMT reply actions  

+1

A point at the Bridge is always a decent recent result.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 6:59 PM GMT up reply actions  

"All in all, I think this is a point picked up instead of two dropped".

Absolutely, if anyone dropped points it was Chelsea blowing a 3-0 lead. But WOW what a game being able to get a point in a place that has been our kryptonite it huge as we try to win the title in the late streaches of the game.

And it was David De Gea who sealed the points for us stopping the late shot from Juan Mata. I’m proud of that man today.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 6:52 PM GMT reply actions  

I have been harsh on De Gea

And rightly so IMO

but wow. just, woww……. That Juan Mata save from the FK was fucking incredible

The gaffer doesn’t agree. He thinks it is two dropped

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 6:58 PM GMT up reply actions  

DAVID DE GEA!

I’m sure you all realize how great of a save that was on Mata’s free-kick…. but man, I seriously can’t get over nor describe how ridiculous that save is. That’s a save that very few human beings have ever been even been capable of making.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

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by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:01 PM GMT reply actions  

That could be a career defining save

That will be one that will be looked back on in years to come.

It should give him the confidence to kick on

It really is one of the best saves I have ever seen.

#ThatSaveHitTheSpot

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 7:03 PM GMT up reply actions  

I still can't get over him making it

Fucking incredible, my jaw literally dropped when he made that save.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 7:03 PM GMT up reply actions  

"The gaffer doesn’t agree. He thinks it is two dropped"

If anyone who should say it was two points dropped it should be AVB. When you have a 3-0 lead in our own place and then let opposing team come back and score three goals to tie it, that’s dropping three points. I can maybe understand why Sir Alex said that but being able to come back to score three to tie it in a place that we’ve had no luck getting a good result in is a point picked up.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 7:02 PM GMT reply actions  

I agree

But I can also see his reasoning. If we lose the title by one point, history will not look back on how Stamford birdge has been a bogey ground. Or how we battled back from 3-0 down

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 7:04 PM GMT up reply actions  

I'm content by earning a point at the Bridge and if we do the same at White Hart Lane in a month

We just have to pick up the maximum points at home to Liverpool next week and three also at Norwich City. After that, the only trip away to a top 7 side is the possible decider at the Eithad in late April.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:06 PM GMT up reply actions  

Yeah I would be happy with a point at the lane

I am very confident that we will get the W against Liverpool

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 7:08 PM GMT up reply actions  

You could say the same thing about the Stoke game

After all we dropped two points by letting them come back, or the the Blackburn game where we lost to a possible relegation bound team at Old Trafford. History is how you want it to be told on this one.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 7:09 PM GMT up reply actions  

that Blackburn match still haunts me.

especially Yakubu.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:11 PM GMT up reply actions  

Same here...

I got a tad sad when I watched the Arsenal game where they beat Rovers 7-1. That’s how the score should of been when Blackburn came to OT.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 7:22 PM GMT up reply actions  

it was last season

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:30 PM GMT up reply actions  

Come again Gene.

Ovechkin-Leich-Semin: The greatest line in hockey..............................Tee Hee

Proud supporter of the following clubs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Erie Otters, Columbus Crew, Boston Celtics and the best football clubs in the land: Manchester United F.C.

The Manchester United Football Club: Winning countless trophies and making City fans jealous and full of envy since 1902.

by Bradley James McEachern on Feb 5, 2012 8:04 PM GMT up reply actions  

2010-11 season

I was just referring to when we had our own 7-1 defeat of Blackburn during the 2010-11 season…. the match where Berba hammered in 5 goals.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 8:07 PM GMT up reply actions  

Paul Scholes

He absolutely changed the match when he came on. The little genius completely dictated play for the final half-hour of the match.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:03 PM GMT reply actions  

Wazza

He was fucking brilliant. A true talisman.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:08 PM GMT reply actions  

Rio tweets

I got booed by the cfc fans today,….well done guys thanks for inspiring me & the lads! That’s like fuel to me! #TeamSpirit

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 7:38 PM GMT reply actions  

FOX

A perfect advert for the sport in the United States as it was being shown on FOX.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Feb 5, 2012 7:51 PM GMT reply actions  

Rafael

I know he didn’t make the whole game, but that was no fault of his own. He was the best defender on the field by a long shot. I hope that this kid starts to become first choice soon (hopefully to Evra’s expense). Rafael shut Malouda down, reminded me of his performance against Ronaldinho back when he first came on the team.

by Amen Amachigh on Feb 5, 2012 10:36 PM GMT reply actions  

I was considering putting him in the poll

Probably should of all things considered

9 tackles in the game… wow

by Sweet science on Feb 5, 2012 10:41 PM GMT up reply actions  

He is first choice on the right..

Evra’s on the left and I personally find Fabio not really hitting Rafael’s standard in defence yet..

by dingmajiao on Feb 5, 2012 11:59 PM GMT up reply actions  

MOTM

De Gea.. Still had shaky moments but made world class save to keep us in the game.. Could do nothing for the 3 goals.. (Expect for the first one where if better he kicks it out)

by dingmajiao on Feb 6, 2012 12:01 AM GMT reply actions  

I concur.

The first goal couldn’t be helped (at least not by De Gea), Sturridge goes one-on-one with Evra and promptly whizzes by him, then his shot (or was that a pass?) is deflected off Evans’ arm.

De Gea’s positioning was Van der Sar-esque throughout the match, I thought. He positioned well for the second goal (if it didn’t deflect off Rio)… He might have saved the Mata point-blank rocket (he flailed upwards at the right spot, anyway)…

Even when he has his game on, the kid can’t catch a break. At least he got to show concrete evidence of his worth in the end.

by yeahblah on Feb 6, 2012 5:42 AM GMT up reply actions  

Rooney

I was unimpressed. Some pretty football but no end product. He missed Welbeck early on a clear chance on goal. He wasn’t terrible, but I think he could have definitely been more efficient.

by Amen Amachigh on Feb 6, 2012 1:50 AM GMT reply actions  

Unimpressed

He ran the game in the second half. Storming runs, cool head for the peno’s. He had had a sterling game

by Sweet science on Feb 6, 2012 3:27 PM GMT up reply actions  

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