It was an even half played in parts, with Chelsea looking the better in the first and third acts. But in the middle, Manchester United asserted control of the midfield, eventually created a chance for Wayne Rooney. From well outside the Chelsea area, Rooney beat Petr Cech in the 30th minute, giving United a 1-0 lead after the first half at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea FC Vs. Manchester United, Halftime: Wayne Rooney Blast Sends Red Devils In, Up 1-0
Manchester United started in the same 4-4-2 we saw on Saturday at Wigan, putting Darren Fletcher out to help with Florent Malouda and Ashley Cole. Early, the deployment seemed needed, with Chelsea building its first attack down United's right. A ball from Fernando Torres was put out by Nemanja Vidic for a corner, and when Frank Lampard's resulting cross was put into the net by Torrres, Stamford Bridge let out a muted roar. Most of the crowd had heard the referee whistle a foul.
Like Chelsea, United's initial attacks went down their left. Like United, Chelsea had bolstered that side, their 4-4-2 allowing them to start Ramires in front of Ashley Cole. Nani's first attempt to crack that side saw him dispossessed in the second minute. One minute later, a run from Patrice Evra couldn't out distance Ramires, who intercepted a Nani ball. Moments later, a Nani cross was intercepted by David Luiz, who sprung the Blues on the match's first real chance, Nicolas Anelka finding Florent Malouda at the top of the box for a shot swallowed by Edwin van der Sar.
Between that chance, the disallowed goal, and two dangerous balls from the right in the seventh minute, Chelsea had the better of play at the onset. By the eighth minute, players had started to settle into the match, more space was seen in midfield, and Manchester United started to string together passes for the first time in the match. But their play was less ambitious than containing, as if to drain the energy that Chelsea had brought from the dressing room. When a Nani shot in the 10th minute gave Chelsea a scare, appearing to have been hit into John Terry's left arm (with no reasonable penalty shot), United hinted they were ready to come into the match.
But even after United started their ascension, Chelsea was still able to generate chances. In the 12th minute, an attack built down the left found Michael Essien in the arc. Had the Ghanaian not slightly overrun the pass, allowing the ball to get caught in his feet, he may have been able to get-off a better shot. His left-footed toe-poke when innocently off a United player for an innocuous corner.
By the middle of the period, United seemed to have gotten the tempo under more control. Just before the 20-minute mark, the visitors enjoyed their first real run of possession, continuing to favor Nani’s flank. With Michael Essien drifting over to support from midfield and United evening numbers with either Javier Hernández or Wayne Rooney, United’s build-up met congestion at the edge of the final third.
In the 21st minute, United was able to break through that side to generate their first good chance. Nani beat his man to generate a cross 18 yards from touch, a ball that met an unmarked Rooney at the near post. The United striker elevated well but a little under the ball. His attempt to turn the ball on goal ended with him shank-ing his shot over the bar.
Despite missing the shot, Rooney was still proving to be United's most important player in attack, dropping deep into midfield to help the link-up play, driving into wide areas to support the build-up. In the 24th minute, Rooney race d15 yards into his own end, close to the level of Michael Carrick, to pick up a ball, dibble it into the attack half, and play a long give-and-go with Nani, a play that was broken up by Luiz. By the 26th minute of the half, the Rooney-Luiz battle was starting to establish itself as the game's best match-up.
One minute later, Luiz was again breaking up a Manchester United attack. A bad giveaway near the center circle by John Terry allowed Wayne Rooney to break United into the Chelsea third. The ball was played wide to Fletcher who sent a cross along the top of the six. But Luiz was there to clear the ball out and to the Chelsea left, though that did not dissuade Chelsea from giving the ball right back to United. A half hour into the match, United was starting to control the midfield. Chelsea, however, was dominating their own third.
Perhaps that’s why United’s first goal had to come from distance, four yards above the Chelsea arc. Wayne Rooney, in possession well outside the Chelsea penalty area, took a touch or two to his right, moving the ball to above the Chelsea arc, 24 yards from goal. Pulling-up and unloading with his right foot, Rooney lined a shot to Petr Cech’s right, giving Manchester United a 1-0 lead after 30 minutes.
After four minutes adjusting to the new context of the match, Chelsea resumed the same tactic with which they opened the match. Florent Malouda had been dangerous on the left side, and in the 35th minute, the left midfielder generated another near-chance, whipping a cross around both John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher, forcing Chris Smalling to put the ball out of play.
In the 40th minute, Chelsea was given another chance to test Manchester United's suspect set piece defending, their first such chance since Torres's disallowed goal. A generous foul given 25 yards from touch to the right of goal was blasted on goal by Frank Lampard. Edwin van der Sar had to lay-out to save a shot he had trouble tracking through the crowd. The rebound went up in the air and toward Branislav Ivanovic at the far post. The Serbian was unable to control his redirection, leaving Nemanja Vidic to clear a ball played off his chest.
The play seemed to energize Chelsea, who continued to threaten by building attacks down their left side. In the 46th minute, though, a turnover in midfield allowed Chelsea to break toward United’s line, forcing Vidic to take down Michael Essien 25 yards out, earning a yellow card. The resulting direct kick was put well over the ball by Ashley Cole, the last meaningful play of the first half.
While Manchester United seemed to control play in the middle of the period, Chelsea looked brighter at its onset and conclusion. With Malouda having a strong half down the left side, the Blues continuously turned United’s defense. But it was Wayne Rooney’s 30th minute rocket that separated the teams, United going into half up 1-0.
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