Pranav Nair
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Chelsea at each other’s necks following PL stalemate
According to The Express, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left fuming as the match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge ended in a goalless draw.
The rather undramatic scoreline was in stark contrast to what was billed as the game of the week. While United extended their unbeaten run in away matches to 20, they will return to Old Trafford, having conceded more ground to Manchester City in the title race.
In fact, the Red Devils had a clear-cut shout for a penalty turned down after the ball struck Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi’s hand. While referee Stuart Attwell was unsure, Solskjaer was certain that his team had been dealt the wrong cards.
“It was a penalty, 100 per cent nailed on. If that’s a natural position for a hand to be in when the ball comes in then I must be blind.””
Premeditated?
In the lead-up to the game, Chelsea’s official website pointed out controversial incidents in previous encounters, both involving United skipper Harry Maguire.
The Blues went on to add that the Red Devils were privy to being given a favourable decision in both cases despite Chelsea being the ‘wronged’ party.
“Even the VAR talk before the game on Harry [Maguire]. That’s cheeky when they [Chelsea] put that on their website. That’s influencing the referees.”
Solskjaer was livid at the Blues’ antics and believes this was nothing short of an attempt to influence the referees in the lead-up to the game. While we are not sure if it breaks any rules, it does appear to be in bad faith and shows poor sportsmanship.
“You can go back and look at the website. You can read what they’re saying about Harry Maguire. Putting pressure on referees to give penalties against us.”
Chelsea respond!
The Blues appeared to respond to Solskjaer’s tirade with a sneaky post on Twitter. According to Football.london, the carefully crafted tweet could be a jibe at Solskajer and his comments.
The Chelsea fans no doubt enjoyed the post, with many of them taking to the social media platform to voice their opinions.
While Attwell may have had his reasons to not award us the penalty, Solskjaer’s comments on Chelsea should be given more thought. While trash talk between teams and players is normal, the Blues, by mentioning the referring decisions appear to have put pressure on the match officials.
Whether Attwell’s call on the night was influenced by it remains to be seen. If Luke Shaw is to be believed, one might think just that.
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While the game itself was forgettable, there are a number of talking points that could be set to do the rounds in the coming days.
The stalemate however saw United fall further behind Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. With the season nearing its end, it will take a miracle for us to catch Guardiola’s men.
