Chelsea maintains composure in the CL competition, defeating Manchester United to move up to fourth place.

Marc Cucurella's header in the second half gave Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, moving them to fourth place in the race for Champions League qualifying. Chelsea maintained their composure.

 Following Aston Villa's victory over Tottenham, which would have put them ahead of Enzo Maresca's team had they lost, Chelsea was under pressure. However, following a tense wait for the breakthrough, captain Reece James set up Cucurella with a deft turn and cross.

Even though Ruben Amorim selected a formidable lineup for the Europa League final, there would have been concerns if Chelsea had faltered against this 16th-place United team, which has already lost eight straight Premier League games.

When Chelsea visits Nottingham Forest on May 25, their last league game of the season, they will at least be in the top five.  After a two-year absence, a victory at the City Ground would ensure a return to the Champions League.

With one game remaining against Villa, United has now dropped 18 league games this season and has not yet reached 40 points, which is often the goal for clubs looking to avoid relegation.  The Europa League final versus Tottenham on Wednesday is crucial.

After United managed just one pathetic attempt on goal, Roy Keane was berating them.  He came to the conclusion, "They're not really good at anything,"

A step closer to the Champions League for Chelsea

When the full-time whistle rang for the last time this season at Stamford Bridge, there was a festive mood.  After spending over £1 billion and firing three coaches, Chelsea's owners are only one victory away from qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.

Co-founder of Clearlake Capital Behdad Eghbali, along with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, were on the pitch celebrating with players and staff once the victory was assured.  If there had been another slip, how things might have turned out.

 Tyrique George, 19, struggled up front in his first league start, and Chelsea did not have as easy a game versus United as others did. Without suspended striker Nicolas Jackson, it was unclear where the breakthrough would come from.

When Villa's triumph over Spurs was confirmed, tension in the stadium only increased. However, after hitting a post with a beautiful strike in the first half, the captain had the flash of insight needed to end the draw.

After seventy minutes, James spotted Cucurella free in the box by pirouetted on the box's edge.  A magnificent header back across goal, his seventh goal of the season, could be considered his most significant.  The job is finished if you win at Forest.

 No one will be more relieved than Maresca.  The wait made things uncomfortable, even though Chelsea was the superior team for the whole of the match.  He might have come into focus as a result of the fallout from his failure.  Eghabli's appearance on the pitch was merely a side note instead.

Man Utd is still having a terrible league season.
 Before kickoff at Chelsea, Keane declared that United had been a disgrace in the Premier League this season.  There was no shame in this.  This is not the first time this season that Amorim's team has faced a superior team.

 This was not the same performance as the December victory over Manchester City.  However, there was a noticeable improvement from the loss to West Ham when Amorim warned his players that their starting position in Bilbao might be in jeopardy.

After 17 minutes, Harry Maguire came very close to giving them the lead with a deft finish, but it was disallowed due to a slight offside.  His shoulder was a hair ahead of Tosin's, according to the technology.

 Apart from Amad forcing a save from Robert Sanchez soon after Chelsea's goal, there wasn't much more to mention.  Mason Mount, who was jeered at every touch upon his return to Stamford Bridge, also missed a shot in the first half.

This season, United has established a poor standard.  The team has lost 18 league games, the most since they were demoted in 1973–74 after losing 20 games.

 Amorim would not have had the luxury of utilising this game to get his squad into form before the Europa League final if it weren't for the poor calibre of the promoted teams.

 Since Sir Alex Ferguson's FA Cup victory in 1990, United has not waited this long for a league victory.  Many people remember the trophy as the one that saved his life.  At least in terms of form, there are similarities.

There is nothing in the league that does so. Since the beginning of April, United has been the worst team in the top flight, drawing two and losing six of their eight games. Being in the latter stages of the Europa League has surely caused their league form to suffer during that time, but that justification only really holds water if the gamble pays off. Amorim doesn't seem in danger just yet, even if he loses to Spurs in Bilbao. However, winning the final feels essential for him to carry something positive into the upcoming season.