Chelsea 2-2 United: Barkley Saves Chelsea In Late Equalizer

It took until the 96th minute of the game but Ross Barkley’s equalizer at the death prompted the mutual contempt between these two sides to overflow with a fracas in the mouth of the Chelsea tunnel that had Jose Mourinho at its very heart.

For once the Manchester United manager could claim due provocation, on this occasion it was Chelsea staff member Marco Ianni celebrating wildly in the faces of the away bench and Mourinho could take no more going off in pursuit and sparking some wild scenes on the touchline. Security tried to part them and staff on both sides were involved with Ianni dispatched down the tunnel and Maurizio Sarri looking like he was offering his apologies to Mourinho.

Barkley stabbed in from close range after David Luiz’s header had hit the post and a follow-up from Antonio Rudiger had been saved, with Mourinho appearing to react to the celebrations of a member of the Blues’ backroom staff.

Defender Rudiger had headed the opener for the hosts after losing his marker Paul Pogba at a corner during a low-key first half.

But United – who went into Saturday having won just one of their past 16 matches at Stamford Bridge – came to life in the second period.

Anthony Martial controlled and volleyed in Ashley Young’s cross-shot to equalise, before drilling a 15-yard effort past Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to put United ahead.

However, Barkley grabbed a point for the hosts in dramatic fashion to maintain Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Eventually the chance came for United, a shot from Mata that was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga and then came back via two poor clearing headers from Chelsea. In the meantime Marcos Alonso had calculated that going down in the area and staying down would be enough to influence referee Dean to stop the game. He was wrong. Young’s shot had a double deflection, fell to Martial and he finished with time and space.

There was enough in what followed for United to sniff a chance. N’Golo Kante’s shot was saved one-handed by David De Gea, an anxiety about Chelsea that they could not shut the game out. Then they were caught out of shape. Mata nicked the ball past Luiz on the right. His pass found Rashford whose first touch opened the space for him to pass onto Martial. Martial’s first touch seemed heavy but he whipped his second past Arrizabalaga.

Barkley’s equaliser came just in time, although Mourinho will not forget the response of the Chelsea bench.