Manchester United pay the price for going on the attack, Chelsea rely on moment of magic from Alvaro Morata

Five things we learned: Eden Hazard getting back to his best, Antonio Conte rewarded for dropping David Luiz and consistency the key for Anthony Martial

Chelsea celebrate after Alvaro Morata's winning goal against Manchester United (Getty)

Mourinho opens up and pays the price

The criticism that Jose Mourinho faced for his Manchester United side’s performance in the draw with Liverpool and win over Tottenham may have been behind his decision to go for the jugular on his return to Stamford Bridge, and for the first half at least, United had chances to score.

But they were also far more vulnerable at the back as a result, and eventually the pressure told when Alvaro Morata was left free to score the opener. Mourinho has always been a defence first, attack second kind of coach, and it has brought him phenomenal success throughout his career. So why change it?

Mourinho is unlikely to change his tactics due to public pressure. More likely, the United manager will have seen the 3-0 defeat by Roma in midweek and decided that his former side were vulnerable and there for the taking. Sadly for him, they weren’t.

Morata delivers when it was easier to choke

As the Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross floated through the air towards Morata, the crowd held their breath in anticipation of a clear-cut chance. However, few will have expected the Spaniard to find the back of the net.

Morata's header was a brilliant finish from the edge of the area (Getty)

The striker was positioned on the edge of the area, had decided that he was taking on the cross first-time and was facing arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. The stage was set for Morata to choke, and fluff his header anywhere but goal.

But not this time. His true class shone through as he timed his jump to perfection, connected fully with the ball and used the pace of the cross to guide it beyond the reach of De Gea with a delicate curl on the effort. It was a lovely finish and one that was deserving of such a grand occasion.

Hazard getting back to his best

Eden Hazard has not been able to reach the same highs this season as what he’s produced in the past, but his broken leg that delayed his start is almost certainly behind that. This was as good a performance as we’ve seen from the Belgian this season though, with the forward able to hold up the ball and protect possession when needed, link-up with Morata in attack and do his share of defending as well.

He may not have got his name on the scoresheet, but it was his cross that allowed Morata to score the winner and there were definite signs that Hazard was beginning to get close to his best again.

If Antonio Conte can return Hazard to his highest level, there is no reason why Chelsea cannot claw their way back into the title race after this result.

Hazard is returning to the top of his game (Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

Conte’s decision to drop Luiz rewarded

Antonio Conte caused a stir when he dropped David Luiz not just from the starting line-up, but from the matchday squad completely. The Brazilian has not been at his best recently, and he also has a long-term knee injury that he has been playing through the pain barrier in order to appear.

Instead, Conte put his faith in young defender Andreas Christensen, and his performance throughout was one of a man who looked at home in the Premier League. The Dane may only be 21 years old, but he settled in alongside the experienced pairing of Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta and certainly strengthened Chelsea’s back line.

He also did well to nullify Romelu Lukaku’s threat, with the Belgian largely absent for most of the game. If Luiz is simply being rested, Conte may have a big decision on his hands to bring him straight back in given Christensen’s performance.

Consistency will get Martial regular football

Once again, Anthony Martial’s return to the starting line-up lasted a single game. Excluding the EFL Cup, Martial has not started consecutive matches this season, and the lack of consistency in game time looks to be affecting his ability to string together positive performances.

He saved United when he was sent on by Mourinho to score the winning goal against Spurs last time out in the league, and his reward was a start against Benfica in the Champions League. Starting two games in the same week should not be beyond a 21-year-old, yet even though he has scored six goals this season, Mourinho clearly still wants more before he becomes a regular.

Consistency will be the key for Martial, as if he can start to produce his moments of magic on a regular basis, there’s certainly a place there to be tied down.