Manchester United stayed in touching distance of the Champions League places with a 2-0 Premier League win at Chelsea on Monday night.
The victory moved United into seventh place with 38 points, three back of the fourth-placed Blues after 26 matches.
The victory also represents a rare league sweep for United against the London club, having last won both meetings between the sides in the 1987-88 season.
In a high tempo, if often scrappy, game United made the most of their chances while Chelsea, whose form at home has been suspect all season, squandered a string of opportunities.
Anthony Martial put the visitors in front just before the break after a well-placed cross on the right from Aaron Wan-Bissaka found him between defenders to head past Wilfredo Caballero from close range.
Second-half substitute Kurt Zouma thought he’d equalised with a header of his own 11 minutes after half-time. But a VAR review determined that Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta pushed a United player after the corner kick had been taken, nullifying the subsequent goal.
United took advantage of their good fortune in the 66th minute through Harry Maguire, who had been lucky not to be sent off for a kick out on Michy Batshuayi in the first half — the former Leicester defender stepping in front of his marker and heading powerfully past Caballero to seal the three points for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
Olivier Giroud, on a subsititute 10 minutes earlier, had the ball in the net near the 80th minute but VAR again ruled it out, this time for offside as the striker’s foot was inches ahead of the last defender.
Chelsea suffered more bad news in the game when midfielder N’Golo Kante limped off early in the first half with what appeared to be a groin injury. He was replaced by Mason Mount.
