Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: Player Ratings as Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first-ever league goal against the Blues | Premier League 2021-22

Manchester United and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Thursday, 28th of April. The game was slow for large phases but the last half-hour proved to be an exciting ending.

United came into this game having lost 3-1 to Arsenal in their last match. Anything but a win here would see the Red Devils bow out of the top-four race mathematically. The Blues, on the other hand, secured a stoppage-time victory over West Ham United in their last game thanks to Christian Pulisic's goal. A win would have helped them maintain the gap between themselves and the fourth-placed Gunners.

Chelsea started the game on the front foot as they looked to cement their third spot in the league. They attempted more shots, shots on target and also had more shots blocked than their opponents in the first period. Manchester United, on the other hand, struggled to produce a real threat in attack. The visitors looked sharp and were knocking on David De Gea's door from the get-go.

The Spaniard made several saves to keep Chelsea at bay. Despite several efforts, Chelsea could not break the deadlock. They attempted a total of 11 shots in vain.

The two sides went into the break at 0-0 after a monotonous first half that saw Chelsea attack without scoring and Manchester United struggle in possession.

The second half began with a bit more excitement for fans on either side as well as the neutrals. Manchester United came out with a bit more purpose and hunger in their game. Their midfielders and wingers pressed Chelsea high up the pitch in a bid to open the scoring.

However, it was Chelsea who scored the first goal of the match. Reece James drove down the right and played the ball to Kai Havertz. The German knocked the ball on with his head and it fell into Marcos Alonso's path. The full-back smashed the ball into the bottom corner on the volley to make it 1-0 to the Blues on the hour. Diogo Dalot was caught in no man's land as his positioning was questionable.

Surprisingly, Manchester United did not sit back after conceding and rallied to find a goal of their own. Nemanja Matic and Cristiano Ronaldo combined for the second time in as many games to draw level two minutes later. The Serb played the ball onto Ronaldo who applied an emphatic finish to send the ball past Edouard Mendy and into the net to make it 1-1.

Both Ralf Rangnick and Thomas Tuchel brought on substitutes to help change the trajectory of the game. Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku came on for Chelsea, while Manchester United brought on Juan Mata. However, neither side were able to carve out an opening as they tried to push for a winner.

Chelsea held on after a late phase of pressure from United to see out a 1-1 draw. The outcome has pushed the hosts to the brink as their top-four fate now rests entirely in the hands of their rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

That said, let's take a look at the player ratings from tonight's game.

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Manchester United Player Ratings

Manchester United v Chelsea - Premier League

David De Gea - 7.5/10

The Spaniard was Manchester United's saving grace in the first half as he denied Chelsea a goal despite a barrage of attempts. He made five saves in the game, four of which were from shots inside the box.

Diogo Dalot - 6.5/10

Dalot put in a combative shift at right-back. He made five clearances, blocked two shots and made one interception.

Victor Lindelof - 6.5/10

The big Swede looked composed in Manchester United's backline despite being on the back-foot for large portions of the game. He made six clearances and also had a shot on target.

Raphael Varane - 7/10

Varane looked solid at the heart of United's defense. He won three of his five aerial duels. The Frenchman also made two clearances and three interceptions and blocked two shots.

Alex Telles - 7/10

Telles had a great game on the left side of Manchester United's defense. He won four of his eight duels. He also made four clearances, four interceptions and one crucial block, not to mention three tackles.

Nemanja Matic - 7.5/10

Matic put in a strong shift in midfield. He passed the ball with 81% accuracy, completing two successful dribbles as well. The Serb provided an assist for Ronaldo's goal.

Scott McTominay - 6/10

The Scotsman had an average outing in central midfield as he covered great distance during the game.

Bruno Fernandes - 6/10

The Portuguese midfielder had an average game. He had one shot on target.

Anthony Elanga - 6/10

Elanga struggled to build momentum on the right flank as Chelsea dominated proceedings.

Marcus Rashford - 6/10

Rashford was wasteful with the ball at his feet as he failed to create anything significant in front of goal. He had only 25 touches of the ball despite playing nearly 80 minutes. For context, keeper De Gea had 32 touches in the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 7.5/10

Ronaldo barely received any service and his own attempts to create something were successfully thwarted by Chelsea's defense. He scored United's equalizer moments after his side had fallen behind. He completed two dribbles from two attempts and won six of his eight duels.

Substitutes

Phil Jones, Juan Mata & Alejandro Garnacho - N/A

All three arrived as late-game substitutes and did not do enough to warrant a rating.

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Chelsea Player Ratings

Manchester United v Chelsea - Premier League

Edouard Mendy - 6.5/10

Mendy had very little to do for large parts of the game. However, he did make two saves throughout the contest.

Cesar Azpilicueta - 6/10

Azpilicueta put in a decent performance for his side. He made four clearances and three interceptions.

Thiago Silva - 6.5/10

Silva looked his usual solid and composed self in defense. He made one clearance and blocked one shot. He played seven accurate long balls from eight tries.

Antonio Rudiger - 6/10

Rudiger had a decent game in defense for Chelsea. He made three clearances and one successful tackle. The German was booked late in the game for a cynical foul.

Reece James - 8.5/10

Reece James looked lively throughout the game and was in the thick of the action at all times. He played four key passes, had one shot on target and saw one attempt hit the woodwork. James also won 13 of his 16 duels and made four successful tackles.

Jorginho - 7/10

The Italian dominated midfield, dictating the play and tempo of the game with his passing. He had a 94% passing accuracy and played four accurate long balls. Jorginho also won five of his eight ground duels.

N'Golo Kante - 7/10

Kante had a fairly easy outing today as his side dominated proceedings. He played three key passes and made three tackles as well.

Marcos Alonso - 7.5/10

Alonso dominated the left flank throughout the game. He scored from a sublime volley on the hour-mark to put his side 1-0 up.

Mason Mount - 7/10

Mount was the heart and soul of Chelsea's moves in attack. He covered a lot of ground and played some important passes. He played four key passes, five accurate long balls and attempted three shots, two of which were blocked.

Kai Havertz - 6.5/10

Havertz started slow, failed to make decisive movements and seemed to lack a killer instinct. He attempted five shots overall, but none of them really tested De Gea.

Timo Werner - 6.5/10

Werner got into great positions but was a whisker away from applying the finish to score a goal on multiple occasions. He took just one shot which was on target.

Substitutes

Christian Pulisic - 6/10

The American came on late in the game but failed to threaten Manchester United's goal. He won two of his three duels and completed one successful dribble.

Romelu Lukaku - 5.5/10

Lukaku was brought on in a bid to provide a threat in the Manchester United box. However, the Belgian failed to live up to his manager's expectations.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - N/A

The Englishman arrived as a late-game substitute and did not do enough to warrant a rating.