In the Premier League, Chelsea defeated Manchester United with a thrilling 4-3 scoreline. The dramatic plot twists in Manchester United’s recent performances reflect their inclination for dramatic games, which continues to offer fresh narratives. After the exhilarating triumph in the FA Cup against Liverpool that left fans jubilant for an extended period, their disappointing draw with Brentford provided a stark contrast, perhaps marking the nadir of their turbulent season.
The recent game was nothing short of extraordinary. The narrative took an unexpected turn from despair to jubilation and then back, all within 90 minutes. It felt like a fatal blow to their Premier League aspirations, with Chelsea jubilantly celebrating their last-minute victory.
Aside from Cole Palmer, Chelsea seemed vulnerable for much of the match. Despite their shaky performance, they were able to pull ahead 2-0, and it could’ve been more. Manchester United, however, maintained calm. Antony, often blamed for the team’s failures, played a key role in changing the game’s dynamic.
After Chelsea’s horrid defending led to Alejandro Garnacho narrowing the gap to 2-1, Antony assisted in setting up Bruno Fernandes’s levelling strike. Antony then made a crucial contribution to United’s counter-attack, resulting in a 3-2 lead, with Garnacho expertly heading the ball in.
Was the game over? Far from it, this was United at their unpredictable best. Following a penalty award in the final minutes of extra time, won by Chelsea substitute Noni Madueke and brought down by Diogo Dalot, Palmer confidently stepped up to level the scores.
The surreal climax came in the 101st minute, courtesy of an untracked Palmer. He seized the opportunity from a quick corner, sealing Chelsea’s victory with a 4-3 finish with a fortuitous deflection off United’s Scott McTominay.
When the whistle blew, United and Chelsea held 12th and 6th positions respectively. This was a far cry from past encounters, which used to be the highlights of the season. Indeed, determining which version of Chelsea and United would emerge on the field has become an intriguing guessing game – their performances have become frustratingly unpredictable.
Raphael Varane, having passed his fitness test, joined Harry Maguire in the centre of defence for Ten Hag’s team. This was in response to injuries to Lisandro Martínez and Victor Lindelöf and limited training for Jonny Evans. Still, the formation felt out of sync, much like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Particularly in the absence of a healthy, specialised left-back – a position temporarily filled by Diogo Dalot due to the looming threat from Palmer on Chelsea’s right flank.
Early on, when Kobbie Mainoo lost control of the ball and Dalot had been pulled inwards, Chelsea noticed and exploited an apparent gap with great effect. Using this to their advantage, they successfully manoeuvred the ball, which reached Malo Gusto through Enzo Fernández. Gusto’s low cross ended up deflecting off Varane’s heel towards Conor Gallagher, who expertly swept it past André Onana. Casemiro missed the crucial opportunity to intercept Gallagher.
The decision by Ten Hag to omit Marcus Rashford from the starting line up was quite notable. The gaffer cited “rotation” as a reason for this dismissal, with the impending showdown against Liverpool at Old Trafford in mind. Rashford’s recent under-performance at Brentford added to the speculation around this decision, though it’s worth noting he was not the only subpar performer from United in the game.
Rashford’s replacement, Antony, displayed intent but was far from perfect. His promising start in the first 15 minutes was quickly overshadowed by an ill-timed tackle on Marc Cucurella, which ended up looking like a penalty. Cucurella had outsmarted Antony, drawing the minimum needed contact to tumble down. The penalty was comfortably converted by Palmer, a player subjected to taunts from United fans, who savoured the moment.
Palmer continued to dominate the game, consistently foxing Dalot with his nimble tricks and fluid agility. Coupled with Casemiro’s constricted movements, Palmer seemed unstoppable. Chelsea hinted at a 3-0 scoreline when they had Axel Disasi unmarked by United at the far post, ready to meet a Gallagher free kick. Disasi, surprisingly, headed off target, wasting a clear opportunity.
Man Utd’s defensive weakness wasn’t their only issue. A dreadful mistake from Moisés Caicedo allowed the away team to fight back into the match. Antony’s perseverance following the initial penalty set up the situation, keeping Fernandes’s stray pass in play. Caicedo’s misjudged pass to Benoît Badiashile ended up with Garnacho who took advantage and quickly scored.
Onana, at the other end, put in a sturdy save to deny Fernandez, but United managed to level the score at 2-2. The Chelsea defense failed to adequately mark the back post that allowed Dalot’s cross to meet Fernandes, who scored with a well-directed header. The first half was chaotic and high-intensity, with Gallagher hitting the post before half time following a Casemiro blunder and subsequent push forward by Palmer.
Questions arose about United’s central defensive lineup. Varane seemed to struggle during the end of first half, and he failed to return for the second half, with Evans coming on in his place. However, Evans’ stint was somewhat short-lived as he had to be replaced by Willy Kambwala in the 66th minute.
The game was intense, with both teams fiercely attacking. Chelsea executed some promising attacks through Palmer, while United showed a dangerous counter-attack strategy. The match had many near-goals, with shots from Maguire and Fernandes going over the bar. A strong challenge from Disasi denied Rasmus Højlund following a sloppy Chelsea pass while Casemiro’s header went high from a corner.
Although Palmer managed to test Onana with a curling strike, United looked more likely to score. They eventually got their goal after Ten Hag substituted Rashford on for Højlund. Antony’s determination and flair were crucial in setting up this goal. He made a crucial interception to start the counterattack and his terrific cross with the outside of his boot allowed Garnacho to score, beating Djordje Petrovic.