Chelsea claimed a scary victory over Manchester United on Friday evening and the side of Enzo Maresca knows exactly what to do to qualify for the Champions League
Marc Cucurella gave the Champions League of Chelsea hopes a huge boost – and insisted that they deserve to be back in Europe's top phase. Chelsea -hero Cucurella led a 71st minute winner to push the blues to the fourth and also put their fate back in their own hands.
Blues -Baas Enzo Maresca knows that a victory in Nottingham Forest will book their place in the Champions League of next season on the last day. Cucurella said: “I am very happy. I think the team deserves this moment. We know that we had to stay in the game.
“It was very important. We worked for these moments. We have two more games left – we have to push hard. We have to finish the season strongly.”
Chelsea captain Reece James added: “I think that is where the club is at home, in the Champions League. Competitive in the best competitions.
“People like to write to us and call us inexperienced. Today we played against a very experienced united team. We were there and we won the game. We had what we had to do.”
It was a night of nerves, but another setback for Manchester United who has now gone eight games without a victory in the Premier League. It was hardly a good preparation for their Europa League -final showdown with Tottenham in Bilbao next Wednesday when the winners get a spot from Champions League.
But the United boss Ruben Amorim, who played an almost complete strength-line-up, at least reported that none of his players were sustaining injuries. Amorim said: 'You never like it when you lose the game. We were competitive, that was clear.
“We have to prepare for every competition, we can rest with five days. We have five days to prepare for [for the Europa League final]Two days to fully recover and then two days to prepare.
“Eventually I looked at all the players and I think they are fine. Of course we are enthusiastic to be in the final. Since the first day the pressure has been there, but I have been doing pretty well with the pressure. If you have the final of a cup, we will appear so that we are prepared for it.”
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