Chelsea vs. Manchester United: 3 Thoughts from the Match

Here are three thoughts from the 3-3 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Wayne Rooney came alive in the second half

Practically absent in the first half, Wayne Rooney sparked a Manchester United a comeback that prevented them from losing further ground in the race for the Premier League title. Of course, Rooney slotted home two penalties in the second half, but he threatened the Chelsea defense on several other occasions, and a great save that he forced from Petr Cech helped lead to Chicharito's equalizer.

David De Gea to the rescue

De Gea has had rough moments in his first season as Man U's goalkeeper, and indeed, in the seventh minute, he looked shaky punching away a cross. But he rebounded to make three brilliant saves, two of them in stoppage time.

Two lost points for the Blues

Entering today's match, a draw might have seemed to be a good result for Chelsea considering they were missing Terry, Cole, Lampard and Ramires due to injuries, in addition to the participation of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou in the African Cup of Nations. Despite the fact Man U still hasn't won in the Bridge in the league since 2002, Chelsea will look at the today's result as a setback in their quest for a Champions League place.

Although Jose Bosingwa did have a solid match, essentially neutralizing Antonio Valencia, Chelsea's central defense had its share of rough moments—most notably, David Luiz and Gary Cahill combining to leave Chicharito unmarked to head home the equalizer.