Chelsea defeated Manchester United 4-3 at Stamford Bridge, in what was yet another game of the season contender involving the Blues. Just like they did with their close rivals Manchester City, Chelsea fought back late in the game to equalise through a Cole Palmer penalty. But this time, the young star scored the match winning goal as well, to complete his hat-trick.
Here are the key takeaways from the most exciting match we’ve seen in the league so far.
Chelsea vs Manchester United – key takeaways
Cold Palmer shines yet again
Cole Palmer v Erling Haaland this season. pic.twitter.com/P8xcvR7nWN
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) April 4, 2024
When Chelsea spent €47 million on Cole Palmer this summer, no one would have expected the impact he has had. The 21-year-old converted two penalties and scored the match winning goal to complete his first senior hat-trick, and that too, against Manchester United.
The winger now has 16 Premier League goals, eight of which have been scored from penalties. Chelsea have won the most penalties in the Premier League this season, and Palmer has been reliable not only from the spot, but as Chelsea’s best player by far. He is only two goals behind Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot, another eye-catching statistic considering Chelsea haven’t had the best season.
7-year streak broken
Chelsea had failed to defeat Manchester United in the Premier League for seven years before their Stamford Bridge thriller. The last time they won against their rivals was all the way back in 2017. Although they won against the Red Devils in the FA Cup in 2020, this is their first league win over their rivals in seven years.
Defense and midfield continues to be a problem for Chelsea
What a turnaround 🔥
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 4, 2024
⚽️ @AGarnacho7 x @B_Fernandes8 ⚽️#MUFC || #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/OWQYNrpiEi
After spending over €300 million for Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi, Chelsea’s defensive core has simply not been good enough. All four players made multiple individual errors, with Caicedo directly at fault for the first goal. While Thiago Silva might not be able to match the pace of the game, his experience and leadership will take a lot of effort to replace if he leaves this summer.
Caicedo and Enzo, on the other hand, were almost non existent when United were on the break. It was easy for the visitors to play through Chelsea’s midfield, leaving them in precarious situations. Antony’s miraculous assist was the prime example of this, with a ball over the top completely undoing the defence. The big-money duo will have to impose themselves more on their opponents if they are to improve in this team.
Garnacho and Antony – the positives for United
🔴🇦🇷 10 G/A in Premier League for Alejandro Garnacho this season…
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 4, 2024
…making it now 9️⃣ goals in all competitions. pic.twitter.com/5E6fTaLjZB
The defence going to sleep in the last two minutes of the game was surely not United’s proudest moment of the season – especially when they’ve lost more Premier League games than ever before this year. But, Alejandro Garnacho continues to shine against big teams. The Argentine winger scored two vital goals against Chelsea to further emphasise his importance and effectiveness.
Moreover, Antony also showed why Erik Ten Hag wanted to sign him at Manchester United. The Brazilian produced a world class assist for Garnacho’s second goal, and was a menace for Chelsea’s defence throughout the game. All that remains now is for him to become more consistent with these performances to help the team more frequently.
