And yet what threatened to be a triumphant occasion for a great goalscorer was instead altered by an occasional one. Chelsea committed £115m for Moises Caicedo in part because of their propensity to overpay for many a player. It certainly was not, however, for his capacity to find the net.
Yet fees of such magnitude can demand a player has a transformative impact and, in an unexpected way, the biggest signing in Premier League history did. A volley was struck beautifully, nestling in the corner of the Manchester United net. Van Nistelrooy only had four minutes to savour a lead he greeted so dramatically. Chelsea had a point at Old Trafford which, given their last league win here came when Sir Alex Ferguson was still managing, may have been the best they could achieve.
Their first-half superiority suggested otherwise. Welcome as Caicedo’s equaliser was for Enzo Maresca, there was a way in which this game represented a missed opportunity: certainly, for all their progress under the Italian, they have not had a statement result in his tenure. This could have provided it. Caicedo’s goal nevertheless meant they clambered into the top four as they made up a point on Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa over the weekend. It might, though, have been better.
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