Manchester United vs Chelsea Review
Chelsea came from behind to earn a point in their Premier League match against Manchester United, preventing the Red Devils from achieving three consecutive league wins against them at Old Trafford for the first time since January 1957. Following a disappointing exit from the EFL Cup against Newcastle, Chelsea aimed to regain some momentum against a United side that had not lost in their last 11 H2H league encounters at home (5 wins, 6 draws).
The match started slowly, with limited scoring chances for both teams, although Noni Madueke nearly opened the scoring with a close-range header that hit the near post from a corner. The first half was somewhat disjointed, with both teams creating opportunities, Alejandro Garnacho had a weak shot saved by Robert Sánchez, while Rasmus Højlund forced a save from the goalkeeper, though it came after the referee’s whistle, and Cole Palmer had a shot blocked. The last moment of the first half saw Marcus Rashford’s side-foot volley hit the crossbar.
In the second half, Pedro Neto nearly scored for the visitors with a low shot that went just wide of the far post. Although the visitors appeared to be the more organized team, they struggled to capitalize on their efforts. This matchup has historically resulted in more draws than any other in Premier League history, and as the game reached the hour mark, another draw seemed increasingly probable.
A decline in performance from the Blues was exploited with 20 minutes remaining when Casemiro’s long pass found Højlund, whose gentle first touch set him up for a shot, only to be thwarted by Sánchez’s hand catching his feet. Referee Robert Jones had to award a penalty, and after VAR confirmed the decision, Bruno Fernandes confidently converted the penalty.
The lead only lasted four minutes when a partially cleared corner fell to Moisés Caicedo, who struck a powerful volley from the edge of the box that went through teammate Mykhailo Mudryk’s legs and past the blind André Onana. The match ended on a tense note, with both teams having chances to win. Enzo Fernández missed a good opportunity by shooting over the bar, while Joshua Zirkzee’s run towards goal lost momentum.
Garnacho also sent a late shot just over the bar, but it seemed neither Enzo Maresca nor interim United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy would feel their teams deserved all three points. A victory would have marked Chelsea’s first back-to-back wins in their head-to-head since March 2011, but they still moved up to fourth place in the Premier League, surpassing Arsenal. Meanwhile, United’s draw keeps them in 13th place, three points away from the top half, as Rúben Amorim prepares to take over after the international break.
