Eden Hazard sent Chelsea to within two wins of the Premier League title by scoring the only goal in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
The PFA Player of the Year favourite applied the finishing touches to a wonderfully-worked team move to put the Blues 10 points clear at the top of the table.
United are now 11 points back and victory over second-placed Arsenal next weekend and another win after that would seal the championship forJose Mourinho’s side.
The Red Devils had won their last six top-flight games to move to within eight points of the leaders and started brightly as Luke Shaw’s perfect cutback set up Wayne Rooney for a left-footed shot which curled just wide.
Ander Herrera and Paddy McNair, recalled in defence in one of several changes enforced on Louis van Gaal by injury, shot wide from distance as United’s bright start continued while Chelsea struggled to offer a threat.
Cesc Fabregas got into a couple of promising positions for the Blues only to be snuffed out by Herrera and Marouane Fellaini, and the Spaniard played a role inthe move which cut the visitors open for the 38th-minute goal.
AfterJohn Terry had forcefully dispossessed Radamel Falcao on the halfway line, Fabregas passed into Oscar’s feet and, with his back to goal, the Brazilian back-heeled into the path of Hazard, who ran clear of the defence and tucked through David de Gea’s legs for his 18th of the season.
The Belgian remained the outstanding player after the break, although he missed a glorious chance to increase Chelsea’s cushion when awkwardly poking the ball against the crossbar frominside the six-yard box afterDidier Drogba’s deflected strike nearly punished a stray Herrera pass.
On the opposite flank, Shaw was United’s biggest attacking threat and he used his pace to get round Drogba and pull a cross back for former Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata, who could only divert his effort over the bar.Rooney, returned to a deeper midfield role to accommodate Falcao’s recall, headed wide from Angel Di Maria’s corner after the Colombian had twice shot wide, but United created little more than half-chances in their search for an equaliser.
Referee Mike Dean correctly spotted Herrera’s dive deep into stoppage time when he tried to con a penalty under the challenge of Gary Cahill as Mourinho’s men safely closed out three huge points in their title quest.
