Ronaldo thanks 'amazing' Man United fans after scoring first EPL goal against Chelsea

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his Premier League drought against Chelsea as the legendary striker salvaged a point for Manchester United in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against the Blues on Thursday.

In 2008, the Portugal international scored United's most memorable strike against Chelsea, as he headed home from Wes Brown's cross in the Champions League final. However, before Thursday, Ronaldo had never found the net against the Blues in the Premier League.

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Although the draw effectively ensured the end of Unite's big for Champions League qualification, the Portugal international took to Instagram to laud the Red Devils for their support. "Thanks for the support in Old Trafford tonight. As always, our fans were amazing in their effort to help the team.💫🙏🏽," wrote the striker.

Meanwhile, United's interim manager Ralf Rangnick said, "Not only the goal Cristiano scored but his whole performance, his attitude at the age of 37, this is not normal to do that. If he plays like he did today, he can still be a big help to this team."

Ronaldo, who recently lost his newborn son, came into the clash having scored a hat trick against Norwich and another strike against Arsenal in his previous two games. On 17 goals, the Portuguese star is tied with Tottenham's Son Heung-min in second place in the Premier League scoring chart behind Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

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With only three games left to play in the league, United stayed in sixth place _ five points behind fourth-place Arsenal and having played two matches more than its rival for Champions League qualification. In the fifth spot, Tottenham is between the two teams, with three more points than United and two games in hand. Chelsea consolidated third place and is six points above Arsenal.