David De Gea Proves His Worth in United Comeback Against Chelsea

David de Gea silenced critics Sunday with a breathtaking performance in goal as Manchester United came back from a 3-0 deficit to secure a 3-3 draw against Chelsea.

The Spaniard pulled off what could be the save of the season with the game evenly balanced at 3-3 in the dying minutes. Juan Mata's free kick looked destined to find the top corner of the net, but de Gea showed incredible reflexes as he sprang to the corner and got fingertips on the ball.

The save was the perfect ending to a brilliant performance from the under-fire goalkeeper.

With Anders Lindegaard out injured for at least four weeks, de Gea was provided a fresh chance to reclaim his place as United's No. 1 keeper.

De Gea has been under intense scrutiny since signing for United in June 2011 for a deal rumored to be worth £17 million. The 21-year-old began the season as Sir Alex Ferguson's first-choice keeper, but lost his place to Lindegaard in early January 2012 after a few costly errors.

Thrown back into the harsh environment of Stamford Bridge for a vital fixture, de Gea took his chance to impress.

Although Chelsea scored three goals, de Gea was not at fault for any. With experienced players like Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra in the team, a young goalkeeper should expect a certain amount of protection, but his captain played a key role in all three goals conceded.

Evra had what may have been his worst performance this season, and his horrendous defensive display left de Gea helpless on three occasions.

De Gea could do nothing about the first goal after Evra allowed Daniel Sturridge to play the ball in, and the ball awkwardly deflected off Jonny Evans into the goal.

Mata then scored Chelsea's second goal with an unstoppable strike into the roof of the net, and even then de Gea almost made the save. He nearly got his hand to the ball, but it simply wasn't enough.

The third goal de Gea may have had a chance to block, but David Luiz's header took a deflection off Ferdinand and the goalkeeper could do nothing to stop it.

After being exposed by his defense, de Gea rose to the occasion as United pulled themselves back into the game. Two penalties from Wayne Rooney and a header from Javier Hernandez put the game back level.

De Gea ensured United held on to the draw with the aforementioned world-class stop against Mata and then another top save when faced with Gary Cahill's long-range effort in the final seconds of the game. His performance may prove to be vital in the Premier League title race as he contributed significantly to the crucial point United earned.

The one thing de Gea's critics will highlight is that he was hardly challenged in the air, and indeed questions remain over de Gea's ability to deal with crosses. He struggled to punch one cross early in the match, but looked assured for the remainder of the game.

Whatever de Gea lacks in the air, he makes up for in shot-stopping ability. His reflexes have been his greatest asset this season, and that was on display once again at Stamford Bridge.

His natural ability is clear. De Gea has the gift of being a shot-stopper, and as he develops physically and adapts to the Premier League he will become a top keeper. His confidence will only improve with performances like the one on Sunday, and that may be the key for him to establish himself in goal.

Lindegaard looked to be the first-choice keeper for the remainder of this season, but if de Gea continues to perform like he did against Chelsea, he may cement himself in the starting 11 by the time his teammate returns.