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Manchester United limped to another draw against an equally uninspiring Chelsea side as yet another David de Gea howler cost his team dearly. Birthday boy Juan Mata finished with deadly accuracy after a beautiful dink by under-fire striker Romelu Lukaku.
Meanwhile, De Gea's error on the other end proved costly for United as Chelsea's Spanish left-back Marcos Alonso calmly slotted in his second goal of the season after his compatriot failed to catch the ball and parried it towards him. United were unable to collect three points which were vital for Champions League qualification and that leaves them at the mercy of Chelsea and Arsenal as they have an inferior goal difference to both teams.
Here are 3 key talking points from the game:
#1 Will the real David de Gea please stand up?
Back to back seasons of carrying the club on his back and winning Player Of The Year honours seem to have taken a toll on David de Gea. His errors have cost United dearly during their ties against Barcelona, Chelsea and Everton.
What seemed to be routine saves for a keeper widely regarded as the Premier League's best, if not the best in the world, has now turned out to be a disaster in waiting. It is hard to blame him for United's struggles throughout the season as he has made countless number of vital saves to keep a porous defence stable while saving his club points on a regular basis.
His form during these last couple of games is reminiscent of his first six months at the club when he struggled to fill the enormous void left by United legend Edwin van der Sar. De Gea's agent and the club have been engaged in constant dialogue over the renewal of his contract after his failed Madrid transfer and are unable to find common ground due to his wage demands.
Maybe the club's reluctance to match his demands, despite him putting his body on the line every time he steps on to the pitch, has played a role in this awful run. Whatever the reason, maybe both the club and De Gea should do everything within their power to get him back to being the best, whether it is by offering the wages that he demands or putting in extra work during training as it is vital for both.
The only solace we could take from this is the fact that form might be temporary and could change while class is permanent and that the real David de Gea will stand up and make it count when it matters the most like he has done countless times before.
#2 Both Chelsea and Manchester United don't seem worthy of qualifying for UCL
Despite both squads being loaded with star names like Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain, Paul Pogba and David de Gea, it is a pity to see both Chelsea and Manchester United battling for the top four and not for titles. Gone are those times when the meetings between two of England's most successful clubs decided who was going to win the title rather than decide who qualifies for the Champions League.
Chelsea's lacklustre attack and United's shambolic defence have led both the clubs down a path which they have never treaded on before. The quality possessed by teams like Barcelona, Ajax, Juventus, Liverpool and the rest is an indication that both English clubs have a long way to go before they dream of domestic and European success again.
Their constant need or desire to stick with methods that have proven to be successful in the past rather than adapt to current times has led to a drop-off and would lead to worse consequences if not rectified soon. United have the chance to do exactly that once the transfer window opens as they can weed out the players who lack the qualifications to wear the badge while bringing in quality players who would make an instant impact.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have to improve their current squad without being able to bring in quality players as the ruling on the transfer ban drags on and looms over their head. Adversity is something which can either bring the best or worst out of human beings, and it is going to be interesting to watch how both clubs wade through these tough periods.
#3 Struggle for consistency continues for Manchester United
Great sides are not made overnight but through a long period of trials and tribulations and the key to overcoming all those obstacles is consistency. Putting in a massive shift during a match while disappearing in another has been a theme this season for Manchester United and their players.
There have been stunning performances from the likes of Pogba in bits and spurts which has led to him garnering flak despite posting up a respectable 16 goals and 13 assists during the season. United have scored 64 goals, but the past three games have proven that consistency is something which can strangle even the most potent attacks as star strikers like Martial, Rashford and Lukaku struggled to find the net consistently.
The best teams always find a way to maintain balance and do it on a regular basis hence they have the ability to grind out results despite not playing well. The PL table is the most significant indicator of the impact consistency has on teams as the gap between second-placed Liverpool, and third-placed Tottenham is currently a massive margin of 21 points from a slim margin of 6 points in December. What separates the great sides from the good ones is their ability to salvage a result irrespective of the conditions or obstacles faced.
