3) Didier Drogba for Chelsea vs Manchester United, ‘09-10 Season
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Manchester United approached their away fixture against Chelsea with some trepidation, despite leading the Premier League table by 2 points. This was because of 2 reasons: (a) Didier Drogba’s hot run of goalscoring form; (b) Wayne Rooney’s freak injury in a Champions League game 3 days before this match, which put him on crutches. Oddly enough, though, Ancelotti opted to keep his in-form striker on the bench.
Chelsea took a deserved lead in the first half after Florent Malouda’s cross was sweetly turned in by Joe Cole. After the hour-mark, with the tide of the game turning, Drogba was brought on by Ancelotti for Anelka. Fresh legs and Drogba’s capacity to create chances with good hold up play gave Chelsea the initiative once again, and they created a chance for Drogba in the 79th minute.
While Drogba was clearly offside in the move that led to his finish, his presence and the eventual result of the missed call by the referee was United’s loss. The match ended with United pulling a goal back to make the scoreline a little less embarrassing, but their inevitable loss of the Premier League lead was a heavy price to pay from the fixture, as it handed Chelsea the edge in the closing stages of the season.
This season was one of Sir Alex’s most heartbreaking ones, and he made sure United reached the league title home and dry with 2 games to spare in the following season.
