Thankfully for Chelsea there is only one game left of the 2022/23 season with their penultimate clash a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United on Thursday at Old Trafford. The Blues created some great opportunities in the 90 minutes which saw them have 14 shots, but their profligacy in front of goal was paid for in full by United who secured Champions League football with the victory.
Goals from Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford put the hosts in command before Joao Felix netted a late consolation goal. At times the contest felt like a basketball game, with numerous mistakes ultimately costing Chelsea again as Frank Lampard's dismal interim run, where only one victory has arrived since early April, continued.
On the final day Chelsea welcome Newcastle where the likelihood of ending the season on a high is quite low. Mauricio Pochettino will certainly have his work cut out when he is officially announced as manager as the Chelsea stars are severely low on confidence and in desperate need of someone uniting them all as a team.
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea announcement delay explained as Frank Lampard reveals first task
With that said, the national media has offered their verdicts on the game, which includes several messages for Pochettino ahead of his appointment being confirmed.
Mirror
Manchester United have secured a place in next season's Champions League by thrashing Chelsea 4-1 at Old Trafford.
It was another miserable day for Chelsea, who had plenty of chances but were woeful at the back. Frank Lampard's side are 12th in the Premier League, having taken just 43 points from 37 games.
Lampard's final game in charge of Chelsea will come against Newcastle on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, before Mauricio Pochettino takes over the reins.
The Guardian
Chelsea’s lack of a No. 9, despite a £600m transfer spend, is an apt shorthand for their lost season. When Enzo Fernández sprayed the ball left to the 18-year-old Lewis Hall the full-back delivered a delicious cross that begged to be headed in from yards out. But it was aimed at Havertz, who has been forced into operating at centre-forward, is no natural predator. He missed the target by a few postcodes.
Lampard despaired after that but would have been more cheered by a Mykhaylo Mudryk burst that had United scrambling to clear, another opening the Ukrainian might have prospered from, Gallagher driving in behind and a blocked Hall attempt. Even better was a Noni Madueke turn and pass to Fernández. The Argentinian then found Gallagher, whose effort skimmed marginally wide.
There was no ruthlessness from Chelsea and United soon showed them how to apply the rapier. From near Chelsea’s area Casemiro threaded a no-look pass to Sancho that split the visitors’ defence. They could only watch as he fed Martial who finished.
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Metro
Frank Lampard named the youngest starting XI in Chelsea’s Premier League history and they were made to pay for their early miss moments later when a practically unmarked Casemiro headed in Christian Eriksen’s free-kick.
The away side had the better of the ball in the first-half but lacked a cutting edge in the final third, with Kai Havertz heading wide from close distance while Conor Gallagher flashed a shot just wide of the post as the clock ticked over to injury-time.
Chelsea continued to press for a much-needed goal but David de Gea did well to make a double-save to deny Hall and Mudryk.
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