Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0
Chelsea Hazard 38'
Man of the match Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
London // With that, surely, the Premier League title is won.
Chelsea produced a classic Jose Mourinho performance to beat Manchester United, holding their opponents at arm's length, waiting for the mistake and then taking advantage ruthlessly.
For all Louis van Gaal spoke of his side’s best performance of the season, this is what Mourinho is good at, where he retains his edge, and it has been Chelsea’s capacity to get results without necessarily playing particularly well that has taken them 10 points clear of the field with six games remaining.
Chelsea have looked jaded of late, their performances in 2015 nothing like the level of October and November, but it has not mattered.
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Since losing 5-3 at Tottenham on New Year’s Day, when Manchester City pulled level on points, goal difference and goals scored, they have dropped only six points.
Some of the football may have been lacking in fluency, but Chelsea have been remorseless. Other sides, perhaps have produced better football than them in patches, but Chelsea have been the most consistent team this season – even when they have had to play, as they did yesterday, without Diego Costa and Loic Remy.
In the second half, United had 75 per cent possession but, until Falcao hit the outside of the post with 13 minutes remaining, having run on to a pass from Luke Shaw, they had not created a clear opening since Wayne Rooney sidefooted a Shaw cut back wide in the fourth minute.
Remain disciplined, keep the shape and the opposition will make a mistake: it has been a guiding principle of Mourinho for years and it paid off once again.
The crucial mistake was Falcao’s, muscled off the ball eight minutes before half time by John Terry. Perhaps it was a foul – certainly Louis van Gaal thought so – but the Colombian seemed weak, an indication of how he has struggled to deal with the physicality of the Premier League.
The ball was worked wide to Cesc Fabregas, then inside to Oscar.
The Brazilian, starting on the right flank, had had a quiet game, but his back heel was perfectly weighted for Eden Hazard, who calmly slipped the ball between United keeper David de Gea’s legs, confirming his status as Chelsea’s best player this season.
He perhaps should have had a second after half time, volleying against the post from a tight angle after Didier Drogba’s shot had been deflected over De Gea.
Again, the opportunity resulted from a United error, Ander Herrera’s misplaced pass giving possession to Nemanja Matic.
Even Marouane Fellaini could not make an impact, shackled as effectively as he has been in the past month by a combination of Kurt Zouma, operating alongside Matic at the back of midfield, and the right-back Branislav Ivanovic.
Two wins will be enough for Chelsea to seal the league title: it could all be done at Leicester City on April 29, with four games remaining.
It might not always have been thrilling, but nobody can seriously doubt that Chelsea, over the course of the season, have been the best team in the Premier League.
Chelsea v Manchester United report card
Man of the match Nemanja Matic – The midfielder has looked tired over the past two or three months but with Zouma to support him he was a dominant presence in front of the back four.
Chelsea rating 7/10 – Jose Mourinho's side executed their game plan superbly, frustrating United and picking off their mistakes.
United rating 6/10 – United jabbed and probed, dominated possession and could easily have taken a point, but were undone by an error.
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