Jorginho’s one-touch passing impressed Chelsea, while Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba shared the Man of the Match award. We explain the moments which made the match action-packed
For Jorginho, the afternoon was the culmination of a long wait. Before his goal against Manchester United, the 27-year-old had had just five minutes to prove himself, a reward for his mazy run across the halfway line and willing work on the right.
The stylish Italian was the star of this intriguing encounter which finished in a thrilling 2-2 draw but, until the win at Everton, his wait to get goals proved more fraught than in his previous spell at Napoli.
“It’s a coincidence that I scored today and last month I scored against Manchester City,” he said. “In between these two goals I’ve been doing my work and working hard. Today I had three more chances and I need to do more.”
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Jorginho’s goals – early on and in the closing seconds – created a stir and motivated Chelsea more than the statistics presented. Their manager, Maurizio Sarri, praised his imprint on the game. “With Jorginho it’s like yesterday – everything is a joy,” Sarri said. “He’s very intelligent, very quick and he has wonderful close control. We’re still waiting for Jorginho to be used to the pitch, but at present I’m happy with his play.”
In these parts this season it seems the Premier League is Mourinho’s to lose. But the Manchester United manager was hardly satisfied with a point at Stamford Bridge. “We’re not satisfied with the point and at this moment we need to improve our mentality,” he said. “We’re lacking a little bit of togetherness.”
The change of heart for José Mourinho and his players in this game was most significant, the first of five matches to come in a vital run of fixtures for Manchester United. After facing Manchester City in midweek in the Carabao Cup, Antonio Conte’s side will visit Crystal Palace on Saturday, before travelling to the Riverside. After that, there are three league games in five days at home to Watford, at Leicester and then Southampton.
“We are starting to build our confidence because of our very good performances,” the Chelsea defender Kepa Arrizabalaga said. “It’s never easy to play in the Premier League, especially when you play against a team who has so many great players. We must continue to show that we are on the right path.”