Manchester United secured their second Premier League win of the season as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro secured a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim brought Casemiro and Harry Maguire back into the starting XI as Manchester United hosted Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
The tie started with United on the front foot, and within five minutes, they were handed a huge boost as Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off for taking out Bryan Mbeumo, who was through on goal, on the edge of the area.
Ten minutes later, Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for the Reds, netting his 100th goal at the club. Chelsea made three substitutions in the opening 20 minutes, but it did not make much of a difference as Casemiro headed in United’s second of the evening. However, just before half-time, he was sent off.
To reorder his side for the 10 against 10 battle, Benjamin Šeško was sacrificed for Manuel Ugarte for the second half, but it took until the final ten minutes for Chelsea to finally secure their reply, with Trevoh Chalobah nodding in a cross from Reece James.
With the visiting side starting to throw the kitchen sink at Altay Bayındır’s goal, United set themselves up on the counter-attack, hoping for a break. One never came, but their defence stood strong enough to secure all three points with a 2-1 win during a rainy Manchester Saturday evening.
#1 – Amorim finally caught a lucky break
In his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, Amorim spoke a lot about luck, United’s chance conversation, and it being only a matter of time before his team start to click.
Against Chelsea, United were handed said luck almost immediately with Sanchez’s red card, and their two goals in the first half were a brilliant way to capitalise on the advantage before Casemiro was then sent off.
In the second half, United were able to marshal Chelsea well, maintaining their position as the superior side even with ten against ten, which the United boss will be grateful to see.
#2 – Casemiro epitomising United’s stupid streak
So far this season, United have had some good moments, but ultimately, rash defending and poor concentration have led to far too many costly mistakes that have cost United points.
Casemiro’s first yellow card was a fair decision, but although the second one could be considered a harsh yellow card, the decision to try to tackle Andrey Santos from behind while Chelsea were on the counter-attack was a bizarre and needless decision.
Ultimately, United escaped suffering any serious consequences, but Casemiro will be wary of making such a mistake again, considering the club’s precarious position in the league table.
#3 – Unique conditions suited United
This was a very unique game. The early red card handed Amorim’s side a brilliant initial boost that they took full advantage of, and after they themselves went down to ten men, having a two-goal cushion handed them confidence.
The overall conditions, both it being a ten against ten fixture and the consistent Manchester rain, forced the side to play simple, non-complicated football, which meant there were fewer mistakes to be made and less room for error.
Although Chalobah did nod one back in for the Blues late on, they continued to stay strong, much to their credit, which Amorim will take positives from.
#4 – United did not panic after taking the lead
As has been a theme under Amorim since he took over coaching duties, United have often panicked after taking the lead in games, but this was not the case against Chelsea.
Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
Whether this was down to the unique conditions, confidence from initially having 11 men, or a genuine shift in mentality from the players, it was refreshing to see.
Amorim’s decision to take off Maguire was questioned when Chelsea grabbed one goal back, as he is United’s strongest aerial presence, but for the most part, a lot of credit must go to the players for their strong defending across the fixture.
#5 – The start of a good run for Amorim?
It’s been 32 Premier League fixtures the United boss has managed since joining in November 2024, but he’s yet to secure two league victories on the bounce.
However, with a much-needed win against Chelsea now in the bag, the club’s next two games, away against Brentford and against Sundreland at Old TRafofrd, he finally has the chance to string together some points on the board.
Winning the next two ties ahead of the international break could be crucial, especially with a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield looming in mid-October.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.