LONDON: Chelsea stayed in the hunt for a Champions League place next season with a nervy 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Friday, courtesy of a second-half goal from Marc Cucurella.
The Spain full back headed home from close range, turning in a cross from captain Reece James, who bamboozled the United defense with a twist and turn in the 71st minute.
“I knew I had space and time. I knew I put the ball in a good area, this guy was always arriving,” James told Sky Sports, standing alongside Cucurella.
James had hit the post in the first half with a stinging shot shortly after United defender Harry Maguire had the ball in the Chelsea net, only for VAR to rule it marginally offside.
United had few other chances, and Chelsea were tense but dominant for most of the match.
The result lifted Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League above Aston Villa, who earlier beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, with one game left in the season for both sides.
“The Champions League is where the club belongs, competing in the best competitions,” James said.

The top five in the table qualify for the Champions League, which has been Chelsea’s target since Enzo Maresca took over as coach at the start of the season.
Relieved Maresca and his bench as well players and fans celebrated wildly at the final whistle.
It was the last home game of the season for Chelsea whose form has run hot and cold under since the Italian took over, and they circled the ground with a lap of honor before leaving the pitch.

Their last game is away to Nottingham Forest, who lie seventh and are still chasing qualification, next weekend.
United, whose target after a woeful season, is winning the Europa League final against Tottenham next Wednesday, are 16th.

CHARLOTTE: Jhonattan Vegas, chasing his first major title, clung to a two-stroke lead in Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship while top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and South Korean Kim Si-woo made late charges at Quail Hollow.
Vegas closed with a double bogey to fire a one-under-par 70 and stand on eight-under 134 after 36 holes with France’s Matthieu Pavon shooting 65 to share second with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Kim on 136.
“It was a great day,” Vegas said. “I can’t really get too down on myself for making double on 18. I feel like I managed my game really well. I was feeling it out there. It was nice to keep the momentum. The game was there and the feeling was good.
“I wasn’t happy to finish with that double on 18 but we have two more days to go.”
Kim aced the par-three sixth hole from 252 yards with a five-wood, hitting the longest hole-in-one in major history, and added six birdies against a lone bogey to equal Max Homa for the day’s low round of 64.
“It was exciting,” Kim said of the ace. “I hit it like exactly how I wanted. So it was cool and it was pretty memorable hole-in-one in major.”
Sharing fifth in the clubhouse were Americans Homa and Scheffler, who shot 68 to stand on 137 — three off the lead.
“A little below average for me,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I did a good job scoring. I was able to hit the right shots when I need to.”
Scheffler’s playing partners in the feature group — second-ranked Masters winner Rory McIlroy and third-ranked defending champion Xander Schauffele — grinded through the final hole just to make the cut on the number at one-over 143.
McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam with his Masters win, closed bogey-bogey to flirt with missing the weekend, lipping out from three feet for par at 17 and hitting off a hospitality tent roof into rough at 18 and two-putting for bogey from 36 feet to shoot 69.
Closing par putts at 17 and 18 from inside four feet gave Schauffele a 71.
Vegas, who fired a 64 on Thursday, never lost the lead despite pressure while Pavon and Homa each delivered their career-low major rounds.
“That was really very solid,” Pavon said. “Got a nice momentum with the putter early on. A few birdies on the front nine helped me to be more confident on the back nine. Overall it was a super satisfying day.”
Homa shot 30 on the same back nine where he fired 39 on Thursday.
“I knew the game was good,” Homa said. “Didn’t know I was going to shoot seven-under but I’ll take it.”
Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, fired a 68 and will draw upon his major win to try and pad his trophy haul.
“The fact I’ve done it before, that’s always a big confidence boost,” he said. “You can lean on that. I’m just happy to be in this position.”
World number 70 Vegas was set to become the lowest-ranked player to lead a major outright after each of the first two rounds since American Gil Morgan at the 1992 US Open.
Vegas was battling after a sleepless night sitting on the lead.
“Not getting a great sleep and having to come back early put me not in the best mood all day,” Vegas said. “It felt like three hours, but I probably got a little bit more than that. I got some sleep but it wasn’t the best.”
American Jordan Spieth, needing a win the complete a career Grand Slam, missed the cut on 144.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, whose 19 made major cuts were the longest active streak, and two-time major winner Justin Thomas were out on 145.