Evans Admits United Deserved To Lose Against Chelsea
Chelsea looked the more likely to score in a dull first half at The Theatre of Dreams on Sunday, which had an end-of-season feel to it. United were surprisingly impotent in attack, and lacked any intensity or fluidity in the final third.
Chelsea had the better chances and they deserved to win, but United would feel hard done by, as there was a measure of luck to Mata’s goal. Replays suggest that Mata’s first time shot from inside the box took a deflection off Phil Jones before finding the back of the net. Also, the goal was scored on 87 minutes, meaning United had little time to mount their renowned comebacks and also saw Rafael sent off for a straight card after kicking David Luiz.
Both teams had different agendas on their mind when they took to the field, as Chelsea were eyeing a top-four berth and United are keen on surpassing the Blues record of most wins in a season with 29. However, it did seem that Chelsea had more to play for than United, who wrapped up their record 20th league title a week ago against Aston Villa.
They were so lacklustre in front of goal that they failed to score at home for the first time in 67 league matches. However, Chelsea took full advantage and scored at the death, meaning a victory against Spurs in midweek would secure a top-four finish for the Europa League finalists.
According to Metro, Evans was disappointed to lose at home to their bitter rivals, but failed to explain for their poor showing. However, he also admitted that Chelsea fully deserved their victory. He said, “I don’t know [why] we performed like that. It’s hard to put my finger on why we weren’t up to our normal standards.”
He added, “We’ve had a hectic couple of weeks, but Chelsea have been our rivals and we’re disappointed not to get three points against them. Maybe they had more intensity in their play because they are pushing for a Champions League spot, but it’s hard to say. I think they deserved their victory in the end.”
The report states that Evans wants United to finish on a high and collect maximum points from their remaining fixtures against Swansea and West Brom. He said, “We will lift the trophy next week against Swansea, which will be a big day for us, and we want to win that game. It’s then the last game of the season against West Brom and we want to win that as well.”
“We want to win every game and, going into these last two games, I’m sure the lads will be up for it and we want to make sure we put on a good performance for the fans.”