https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/11/29/ loftus-cheek-on-compact-midfield--blues-comeback-and-enjoying-hi Loftus-Cheek on compact midfield, Blues comeback and enjoying his football 29 Nov 2021 Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in the thick of a congested midfield battle yesterday and he explained what it was like trying to operate in that area of the park during our draw with Manchester United. https://i.imgur.com/3dJjYb9.jpg Loftus-Cheek started his first league game since the win at Brentford and completed 90 minutes for the fourth time in all competitions this season. He registered an impressive 91 per cent pass completion rate and won six aerial duels, twice as many as any other player on the pitch. It was his midfield partner Jorginho who played a major part in both goals, converting a penalty not long after he was dispossessed by Jadon Sancho to open the scoring early in the second half. Reflecting on the result, Loftus-Cheek acknowledged a sense of frustration in the Blues camp. 'We wanted more,' said the midfielder. 'We had the upper hand most of the game, we had most of the ball, and we had chances we didn't take. 'They had a few counter-attacks but that was it. It was a scrappy game, very high intensity. Both teams wanted to press and put players under pressure, so there were a lot of mistakes, a lot of turnovers in midfield. That's what you get in big games. The stakes are high and it gets heated. 'We can be disappointed because we felt we could win the game, but it's a point and we'll take that.' There was much made beforehand about Michael Carrick's decision to field Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay in Manchester United's midfield, and Loftus-Cheek analysed what that meant for how the contest played out. 'They had three defensive midfielders in there to shut up shop and stop us playing through them. That made it hard for us, which is why we didn't create clear-cut chances. Credit to them for that. https://i.imgur.com/PuV5wLo.jpg Loftus-Cheek tries to shake off his former team-mate Nemanja Matic 'We knew they would pack the middle out and try and make it hard for us to break them down. They did that. It was very compact in the middle. They made it difficult for us to find space between the lines. Our chances came from set-pieces and half chances and in these games, you have to take them. We didn't. 'We did well to come back,' Ruben continued. 'It was a downer conceding a goal off our back, but we had to keep pushing. We got the penalty and Jorgi put it away well. We had other chances as well we couldn't take. That's football. Sometimes you put it in the back of the net, and sometimes you don't.' Alas it was not to be for the Blues in terms of three Premier League points at the Bridge yesterday but it did mark another positive step forward for Loftus-Cheek, who continues to impress in his first season working with Thomas Tuchel. 'I'm enjoying my football, especially playing in games like this which mean a lot with points at stake,' said the 25-year-old. 'I'm enjoying my football and I just want to keep playing.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/11/29/ disappointed-hudson-odoi-on-missing-the-final-finish-to-a-domina Disappointed Hudson-Odoi on missing the final finish to a dominant display 29 Nov 2021 On both an individual and collective level, disappointment was the overriding emotion for Callum Hudson-Odoi following Chelsea's draw with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. https://i.imgur.com/UoVndGv.jpg The forward started his eighth consecutive match for the club but could not net in back-to-back games as David De Gea denied him one-on-one early on with the contest still goalless. The Blues eventually fell behind when Jadon Sancho, another young Londoner impressing on the Premier League stage, fired United ahead early in the second half. Yet Thomas Tuchel's men fought back from behind to take something from the game for only the third time in nine occasions in which we've trailed under the German, Thiago Silva fouled for a spot-kick and Jorginho converting. After the game, Hudson-Odoi summed up the dressing room mood as frustrated with the result but pleased with most of the performance. 'I feel like it's two vital points dropped,' he said. 'We dominated the game, we had chances and even I had a big chance myself but it was a good save by De Gea. https://i.imgur.com/3pITR0z.jpg Hudson-Odoi was denied by De Gea early on 'It was a disappointing one for us today. I thought we played really well, we worked hard off the ball and we deserved the three points so it definitely feels like two dropped.' With 24 efforts at goal to United's three, 15 corners to two and over twice as many completed passes, the statistics also supported Hudson-Odoi's view that the hosts were the dominant team. Yet our failure to score from open play proved costly and the Wandsworth winger felt a final cutting edge was missing in attack. 'It was just the last bit in the box really,' explained the 21-year-old. 'We did everything else really well. Our build-up play was good, even around the box at times, but it was just the last bit that we missed and scoring that goal that we needed. 'It was disappointing not to get it but we have to recover, reflect on the game and go again on Wednesday [against Watford] to try to get the win.' Chelsea will go into that trip to Vicarage Road still top of the Premier League, albeit having seen our lead reduced to just a point on Manchester City this weekend. 'It's obviously important to be top but games like today where we're on top and we feel like we dropped two points are hard,' Hudson-Odoi added. 'We feel like if we had won we could have stayed three points ahead so it's definitely disappointing but we have the one point and at least we didn't lose the game.' -- ╔══╗╔╗╔╗╔══╗╔╗ ╔══╗╔══╗╔══╗ ║╔═╝║╚╝║║╔═╝║║ ║╔═╝║╔═╝║╔╗║ ║║ ║╔╗║║╔═╝║║ ╚═╗║║╔═╝║╚╝║ ║╚═╗║║║║║╚═╗║╚═╗╔═╝║║╚═╗║╔╗║ ╚══╝╚╝╚╝╚══╝╚══╝╚══╝╚══╝╚╝╚╝ --

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