Chelsea got the job done. That is about as kind as you can be to a performance which was closer to being Conference League level than Champions League worthy.
At this stage of the season it was never really about how pretty things look, though, and the grit that this young team showed was more valuable than anything else, except the three points. Taking those away from Manchester United means the already simple equation just simpler.
What it comes down to is that Chelsea now have to beat a Nottingham Forest side which has lost confidence and momentum. It is a scenario that many have debated in the past week when it became clear that only two wins from two in this final fortnight would be enough.
“If you said at the start of the season that we would need to win against Forest and the 16th-placed team to get into the Champions League, you’d have taken it.” That had been the argument from a lot of Chelsea fans (especially online) after the defeat to Newcastle United.
It allowed a calm edge after a disappointing loss. The only caveat to that was that Manchester United were seen off at Stamford Bridge. Do that, and Chelsea could plan for going to the City Ground with fate still in their own hands, no matter what Aston Villa did to Tottenham.
That is what is now ahead of Enzo Maresca and his side. When the circumstances flipped in their favour, they took advantage. They made it hard work but they did make the most of the situation.
Just as they did against Liverpool two weeks earlier, Chelsea found a win when their opponents were flagging and had nothing to play for. Unlike the Liverpool game, which was largely an excellent team display, this was about as ugly as it gets.
There is definite satisfaction in that, especially when it means getting over the line at a crucial time, but some question marks will remain. For now, they can be shelved.
When the line between success and failure is as marginal as it is right now, the consequences of not winning are enormous. In the same week that it was reported Maresca would be staying for next season regardless of how this one finishes, falling over against this United side would have been unacceptable – it already would have been anyway.
For a big portion of Friday night’s game, a lot of elements were still a long way below par. Chelsea started slowly, they allowed United to control the game and to add tension into the already nervous atmosphere.
On the ball, Maresca’s side were sloppy. They didn’t isolate Noni Madueke enough when he was having success and Pedro Neto was poor. Maresca chose against switching his wingers to cause more problems and the Tyrique George experiment was ineffective.
It created a tedious game broken up by moments off shoddy football from both teams. Being dragged down to United’s level and making them look vaguely competent is the harshest criticism going.
United started to get shots away. Mason Mount might have scored, and Bruno Fernandes was left free on the edge of the box. Chelsea had very few sequences of creating danger and looked increasingly desperate.
It took a moment of Reece James inspiration to find Marc Cucurella at the back post. Full-backs can invert and create and overload in the final third but sometimes just doing a man and crossing it is the best way forward. That is what matters when there is less than 180 minutes to play.
All of the problems with this stodgy showing can be ignored. They will be highlighted as reasons for concern if Chelsea drop out of the top five on the final day but should they win then there will be no retrospective needed. Instead, all that will be taken is how Chelsea found a piece of magic and just about toughed it out.
Winning is winning is winning is winning. That is exactly what James did. He left Alejandro Garnacho embarrassed on a pitch some at Chelsea hope he one days plays on for them. James showed why he was possibly the best wing-back in the world a few years ago, rolling someone physically inferior (most are) before clipping a delightful pass to his teammate.
Chelsea found the moment they craved without a striker on the pitch. That is the most important thing. There is no need to lose it over a lack of sustainable plays on the night. Chelsea just needed an answer and they got it. Move on and address the issues that need addressing in the summer when it comes to it.
The first and biggest challenge was always getting to the point where pitching to new players involves being at the top table of European football again. Cucurella’s goal gives Chelsea a big chance to do that.
They ground out a win against a team which causes them problems no matter how low they sink. You could feel the obstacle of pressure growing and then eventual relief greet the stadium.
Maresca roared the crowd on and asked for more noise in stoppage time. Levi Colwill did the same. The Chelsea manager and centre-back, within two minutes of each other, turned to opposite stands and screamed, waving their arms to generate a final push.
James joined them by the corner flag next to the Matthew Harding End. He won a throw in and a corner when Chelsea were seeing the game out before pumping his fists.
Starting once more in the Premier League, James turned his captaincy head on as well. Chelsea’s players had a teamtalk ahead of the second half in a huddle. The defence also had a chat after Harry Maguire’s goal. James was involved.
Late on it was him protecting Cole Palmer from the linesman and a possible second yellow card. Tempers had boiled with so much on the line and Palmer found himself in the book.
Not willing to let Chelsea’s creator-in-chief work himself into a suspension, James shoved Palmer away from the referee and linesman, shouting in his face to back away. Palmer continued to moan at them both under his breath but James had done his job as a leader.
It was almost role reversal several minutes earlier when Palmer ordered Malo Gusto to track back after surging forward. Now with something to hold onto, Chelsea were drawn into a frantic game but often it looked like it was against themselves.
Palmer then had a cool head to organise on the field. At full-time the place erupted out of relief and genuine celebration. Chelsea will have to be better than this to do any damage in the Champions League but getting there is the real achievement.
This was the Stamford Bridge version of the away scenes from Fulham, when Chelsea’s season truly sparked. The team will now go to Nottingham with a fierce backing from the always loud travelling contingent.
The players knew this. The ground had been strangely subdued for much of the night, not helped by a lackadaisical start. Anger seeped through as a self-inflicted outcome became a close reality.
That emotion poured through when James and Caicedo bumped heads at full-time. They helped themselves up against each other as Chelsea’s two titans in an otherwise mediocre attempt.
Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo both bent down and cheered. James practically threw himself into the fans and then hugged Colwill and Neto. Madueke pointed to the badge and to his arm, where James’ armband was. It was togetherness that Chelsea needed to get through where quality was otherwise missing.
Nobody will hardly care about the performance and what happens next weekend as long as it results in a win. On the last day of the 2020/21 season, Chelsea lost away to Villa and seemingly threw away Champions League football only to be saved by Spurs (and their own eventual triumph in Porto), so there is another way but the straightest line back to the big time is the best one.
Chelsea have rarely used that path in the last two years. Never was that more apparent than making Amorim’s United look good. They went 1-0 down and won 1-0. They wanted a penalty, got denied, were given another, and had it taken away. They scored the winner and left with three points. The last sentence is the only one that matters, and they got it done.
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