Chelsea 1
Cucurella (71′)
Man Utd 0
Marc Cucurella’s second-half header kept Chelsea in pole position to secure Champions League football next season.
Cucurella timed his run perfectly to meet an exquisite Reece James cross and grab the only goal of an otherwise uninspiring match with less than 20 minutes left.
It left Chelsea fourth in the table and close to returning to Europe’s premier competition.
Despite the huge prize on offer, an insipid first 45 minutes and an equally dull 20 minutes after the break showed a surprising lack of urgency.
Enzo Maresca’s side, who realistically just need to beat Nottingham Forest to ensure Champions League qualification, had the better of what few chances there were in the first half, with the impressive Noni Madueke missing the best chance when he made a terrible hash of Cole Palmer’s searching ball to the far post after a great burst forward from Moises Caceido.
Harry Maguire had a goal rightly disallowed for a marginal offside after a VAR check but that was good as it got for the visitors.
Chelsea responded to the wake-up call, with Caceido starting to take control of the central areas and Madueke seeing plenty of the ball and looking sharp on the left.
A fizzing James shot hit the post following a good run by Madueke, Palmer had a shot deflected wide and Enzo Fernandez missed a gift of a close-range chance on the follow-up but was offside anyway.
The first part of the second half was just as nondescript as the first, with a lack of cohesion, quality and excitement.
Former Blues midfielder Mason Mount, who was roundly booed every time he was in possession, wasted his side’s best opportunity when he miscued badly from 15 yards.
But Chelsea finally started to gain decent control – and thought they had won a penalty when Tyrique George went down inside the box as keeper Andre Onana rushed out to push away the ball.
A spot-kick was initially awarded but a VAR check showed Onana got the ball first.
But there was no room for doubt when Cucurella confidently headed home after a wonderful spin and cross by James.
Madueke should have sealed the points only to blaze wildly wide soon after, but Chelsea held on with little alarm – much to the delight and relief of the majority of a noisy Stamford Bridge crowd, who lapped up the full repertoire of Chelsea anthems played on the final whistle.
Chelsea: Sanchez, James, Cucurella, Tosin, Colwill, Caceido, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Neto [Gusto 91], George [Lavia 81].
Subs not used: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Badiashile, Dewsbury-Hall, Chalobah, Anselmino, Acheampong.