Chelsea’s Champions League fate remains in their own hands thanks to an unlikely source – who could be now set for a lifetime stadium ban.
The Blues beat Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Friday night in an end-to-end affair which saw the visitors have a first half goal ruled out for offside.
Chelsea’s Champions League hopes remain in their hands after beating United[/caption]
GettyThe Blues held on after a pitch invader halted a late attack from the visitors[/caption]
Marc Cucurella‘s second half strike proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The result proved crucial for Enzo Maresca‘s side after Aston Villa had beaten Tottenham earlier in the evening.
Chelsea moved up to fourth with the victory, although Manchester City, now in sixth spot, have a game in hand against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
However, the west London outfit will be assured of a Champions League return if they beat Nottingham Forest on the final day of the season.
Fans have a new hero to thank for boosting their top five hopes after a pitch invader disrupted a promising United attack during stoppage time.
As the Red Devils came forward with Harry Maguire in search of an equaliser, the match was halted by the intruder.
They could be seen sprinting across the pitch and past several players from both teams.
Their antics came to a dramatic end, though, as a steward perfectly timed a tackle to send the fan to the turf.
talkSPORT’s Sam Matterface described the moment the fan entered the field of play on commentary, stating: “Ball up towards Maguire, Maguire tries to flick it on…
“There’s somebody on the pitch here who has come onto the playing surface and that’s delayed the end of the match, it’s going to add vital seconds onto the match.”
GettyThe fan ran onto the pitch during the closing stages at Stamford Bridge[/caption]
GettyStewards swarmed the pitch invader before tackling them to the ground[/caption]
Once the invader had been tackled, he added: “Maguire is saying [to the referee] that the ball should be with them because the ball was in Man United’s possession when this idiot fan came onto the pitch.
“He’s been wrestled to the floor by some orange-wearing stewards. He’s still trying to fight.
“Well done fella, you’ll never come back here again. What an excellent thing to do.”
Meanwhile, supporters were also quick to react to the incident on social media, with one writing: “The pitch invader is the man of the match.”
Another quipped: “That pitch invader needs to be given an award
A third added: “That lifetime ban from the pitch invader was absolutely worth it.”
GettyMaresca’s side are on the cusp of sealing a return to the Champions League[/caption]
The disruption could prove to secure Chelsea’s top five finish as they held on for the victory.
A United equaliser would have seen the hosts drop two points and head into the final day outside the Champions League places.
Instead, the Blues remain ahead of Villa on goal difference with just one match remaining for each side.
Maresca is aiming to secure a place in the competition for the first time in two years.
The two-time winners have not appeared in the Champions League since losing to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals back in 2023.
