The defender of England Harry Maguire had a late first half of first half excluded for offside because Manchester United was denied an early advance in Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday.
Maguire, who led the last winner of United, against Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, met the delivery of Bruno Fernandes from the left with a first thunderous strike inside the box before his celebrations were ultimately deemed futile following a video assistant arbitrator and a semi-automated semi-automated.
“So close,” the former English striker Alan Smith told Sky Sports. “But the decision to go to semi-automatized is a decision for the best. It’s more precise.”
Harry Maguire’s goal for Manchester United is excluded for offside after a Var ❌ review pic.twitter.com/c08ipxleis
– Sky Sports Premier League (@skysportspl) May 16, 2025
Chelsea vs Man United
Maguire was one of the five return players for United alongside goalkeeper Andre Onana, defenders Victor Lindelof and Patrick Dorgu and the midfielder Casemiro.
“He took him as a center-forward,” observed Smith. “Man United is playing like the best team and they put good crosses in there.
“But it’s tightened on the offside. Is he leaning in this position? He took it well on the Half Volley. You cannot give Fernandes this kind of space. Chelsea looks vulnerable on the crosses.”
Will Chelsea qualify for the Champions League?
Chelsea must match the result of Aston Villa at home in Tottenham on Friday, which started 45 minutes earlier, to stay above the Villans, which started the evening in sixth place.
The victory would make them move on points with Newcastle, third before a potentially crucial trip to Nottingham Forest in their last game of the campaign on May 25 (4:00 p.m. GMT).
“This group, they don’t know how to compete!” 🫣
Roy Keane is categorical pic.twitter.com/lynzbnflyd
– Sky Sports Premier League (@skysportspl) May 16, 2025
Forest, who was a point behind Chelsea at the start of the game on Friday, visit West Ham on Sunday (2:15 pm GMT), and their meeting with the Enzo Maresca team could decide which of the two clubs qualified for the Champions League next season.
Man United: the Europa League final awaits you
United cannot finish more than 13th after a dismal national campaign which included 17 league defeats, Ruben Amorim unable to inspire his players in a coherent form since the arrival of the Portuguese in November.
They have not won in Chelsea since February 2020, but threatened several times at the start of Stamford Bridge, more like the team with a greater incentive to win.
The Red Devils could have been forgiven to be distracted by their final of the Europa League against Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday (8:00 p.m.), with the price of qualification in the Champions League for the winners.
