Manchester United Edge Chelsea in Dramatic 2-1 Win at Old Trafford
Manchester United secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Chelsea in a rain-soaked Old Trafford clash, cutting the gap between the two sides to just a single point in the Premier League table.
Match Summary
The game started in dramatic fashion when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was shown a straight red card in just the 5th minute after a reckless challenge on Bryan Mbeumo. United immediately capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Bruno Fernandes opening the scoring in the 14th minute — a landmark goal, his 100th for the club on his 200th Premier League appearance.
Casemiro doubled the lead in the 37th minute with a powerful header, but the Brazilian’s joy turned sour as he was sent off just before half-time for a second bookable offense.
With both sides down to 10 men, Chelsea pushed hard in the second half. Trevoh Chalobah pulled one back in the 80th minute, but United held firm to claim a much-needed win and end Chelsea’s hopes of leaving Old Trafford with points.
Managers’ Reactions
Ruben Amorim (Manchester United Head Coach)
> “It feels really good … now is time to create a little bit of momentum. We started the game really well, really aggressive, but of course we complicated things with Casemiro’s red card. Still, we fought in every moment and deserved the win. Our fans helped us a lot today.”
On Bruno Fernandes:
> “He scored a goal playing as a midfielder so I am really happy with that.”
Enzo Maresca (Chelsea Head Coach)
> “The red card completely changed the game … the plan was gone after just five minutes. It was very complicated from there. We had to change shape and sacrifice Cole [Palmer], who was not 100% fit. We tried to fight back and had our moments, but the game was already very difficult.”
Key Facts & Stats
Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th goal for Manchester United.
Casemiro became the first United player in Premier League history to score and be sent off in the first half of a match.
Chelsea’s winless run at Old Trafford now stretches to 13 league matches.
What’s Next?
Manchester United will look to build on this result as they prepare for their next Premier League fixture, while Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge searching for answers after another frustrating trip to Old Trafford.
