Marc Cucurella was once again Chelsea's hero as his headed goal earned a potentially season-defining 1-0 win over Manchester United just as his side’s Champions League hopes looked to be slipping away.
With 20 minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge the Blues were set to head into the final day of the Premier League season with their top-five fate out of their hands, with more poor finishing seemingly condemning them to two crucial points dropped and a third straight season out of Europe’s top competition.
News that Aston Villa had beaten Tottenham in the earlier kick-off and had leapt ahead of Enzo Maresca’s side only added to the tension amongst home fans, which turned to frustration as the enormity of their team’s predicament came grimly into focus.
Then appeared in the box the ebullient, untameable Cucurella, by far Chelsea’s most improved player in the last 12 months and the scorer this season of seven goals – though none as valuable as this – slipping his man to head Reece James’ cross past Andre Onana in the 71st minute and redeem a desperate situation.
A win away to Nottingham Forest next Sunday will confirm a top-five finish.
Chelsea were the better team in the first half, for what that was worth against a United side that had lost five of their last seven in the league and had not won in two months.
Maresca had recently lamented his side's wastefulness in front of goal this season – the Blues had the second-highest number of big chances missed in the league before kick-off – and Noni Madueke presented the latest.
A brilliant burst through the midfield by Moises Caicedo began the move, knocking the ball centrally to Cole Palmer whose cross to the back post was met first time by Madueke but with the exactitude only to hoist the ball high into the Shed End.
A fractional VAR call then saved Chelsea when Harry Maguire was judged to have strayed offside by inches before turning Bruno Fernandes’ pass beyond Robert Sanchez.
Mason Mount, on his first start on the ground against the club he represented for 12 years, drew taunts from home fans when his first-time shot bobbled out of play for a throw-in, before his former academy team-mate James had a thunderous 20-yard effort thud against a post.
The flag spared Enzo Fernandez his blushes when he skied over with the goal gaping after Onana had made a feeble job of handling Palmer’s bending shot. Replays showed Fernandez probably was offside, but the moment did nothing to alleviate Maresca’s anxieties about his team’s ability to convert chances.
VAR intervened this time on United’s side midway through the second half. Tyrique George tumbled as Onana raced out to meet him in pursuit of a through-ball. Referee Chris Kavanagh said penalty but a pitchside review confirmed the goalkeeper had made no contact.
Then, finally, relief for Chelsea. Pedro Neto played the ball back to James, who with a balletic pirouette corkscrewed away from Alejandro Garnacho and whipped an irresistible cross to where Cucurella was arriving, the defender’s thumped header flashing past Onana into the corner.
Madueke then penned a footnote to his personal anthology of missed chances, slicing wide when clean through on goal.
Sanchez produced a good near-post stop to keep out Amad Diallo, the only moment in the second half when United really threatened.
Aston Villa also moved closer to a Champions League return after a 2-0 victory over Tottenham, who had more than one eye on Wednesday's Europa League final.
Villa’s memorable run to the quarter-finals of this season’s competition gave them the taste for more and they boosted their hopes with an eighth win from their last nine Premier League games.
This was probably the biggest home banker of the campaign given where Spurs’ focus lay, but Villa made hard work of it, needing second-half goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara to get the job done.
However, Chelsea's win over Manchester United means they have to win their final game of the season at Old Trafford and hope other teams, including Enzo Maresca’s side and Manchester City, drop points.
Ezri Konsa scores Aston Villa's first goal.
Spurs could yet still be in the Champions League next season as well if they can end their trophy drought with Europa League victory over United and boss Ange Postecoglou did nothing to jeopardise that at Villa Park.
The embattled Australian made it clear where his focus was by naming a weakened side, which included a first Premier League start since 2022 for forgotten man Sergio Reguilon.
They never really looked like avoiding a 21st league defeat of a miserable league season, but all roads now lead to Bilbao where history could beckon.
Villa had an early flurry of chances as Ollie Watkins fired straight at Antonin Kinsky and John McGinn fizzed an effort just over.
But Spurs, and Son Heung-min in particular, showed – for a time at least – they were not here just to make the numbers up.
The South Korean is one of the players who is likely to play in Bilbao and he almost opened the scoring when he cut inside and whipped an effort just over the crossbar.
Son was again involved as Spurs went close once more, starting a move that saw Wilson Odobert cleverly flick Mathys Tel’s cross goalwards, but Emiliano Martinez was equal to it, saving with his feet.
It was Kinsky who was then forced into a smart save as he got finger tips to Amadou Onana’s cross that was sneaking into the far post.
Villa came forward with a wave of attacks, with Marco Asensio curling just wide from 20 yards and Konsa heading straight at Kinsky.
Frustrations were growing as the hosts floundered at the start of the second half but the tension was relieved as they finally made the breakthrough just before the hour.
Watkins rose highest from McGinn’s corner and his knockdown was swept home by Konsa.
It was almost 2-0 60 seconds later but Kinsky got down well to keep out Watkins’ effort.
Kamara did kill any jangling nerves in the 73rd minute when he unleashed a fierce low shot that was too hot to handle for Kinsky.
Villa saw it out to end their excellent home campaign with a record-extending 21st match unbeaten in all competitions, with goalkeeper Martinez, who has been linked with a move away, in tears at the end.
For Spurs, it is about going one more match this season without defeat.