Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea in dramatic circumstances at a rainswept Old Trafford on Saturday, with both teams finishing with 10 men after an extraordinary first half that rewrote the Premier League record books.
Bruno Fernandes scored his landmark 100th goal for Manchester United across all competitions on his 200th Premier League appearance, before Casemiro doubled the lead with a close-range header. However, the Brazilian was sent off before half-time, following Robert Sánchez’s fifth-minute dismissal for the visitors.
Trevoh Chalobah’s late header gave Chelsea hope, but United held on for consecutive home league victories within the same season and under the same manager for the first time since December 2023 under Erik ten Hag.
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Early Chaos and Red Card Drama
The match exploded into life immediately in the driving Manchester rain. United made a blistering start, with Bryan Mbeumo forcing an early save from Sánchez before Patrick Dorgu was denied what looked like a certain goal by a vital Reece James challenge.
Chelsea’s early chaos proved costly in just the fifth minute when a long ball from Altay Bayindir was flicked on by Benjamin Sesko into the path of Mbeumo, who was brought down outside the box by a panicked Sánchez. The goalkeeper received a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity – Chelsea’s earliest ever red card in a Premier League game and the third-earliest red shown to a goalkeeper from the start of a match in the competition.
Enzo Maresca responded with immediate tactical changes, withdrawing Estêvão for substitute goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen, but surprisingly also sacrificed Pedro Neto for defender Tosin as he restructured his team to cope with the numerical disadvantage.
Fernandes’ Milestone and United’s Dominance
United’s early pressure soon paid dividends when a cross from the right was headed back across goal by Dorgu, allowing Fernandes to convert from close range in the 14th minute. The Portuguese captain became only the fourth player from his country to reach 200 Premier League appearances, joining Luis Boa Morte (296), Bernardo Silva (270), and Cristiano Ronaldo (236). He also became the fifth different player to score on their 200th Premier League appearance for United, following Denis Irwin, Phil Neville, Wayne Rooney, and Antonio Valencia.
Maresca’s tactical headaches continued as he was forced into his third substitution inside the opening 21 minutes, withdrawing Cole Palmer for Andrey Santos due to an apparent injury. This represented the earliest a team had ever made three substitutions in a Premier League game.
United doubled their advantage through a comedy of errors from Chelsea’s defense. A Noussair Mazraoui cross caused absolute chaos as James put his clearance from Dorgu’s knockdown straight up in the air, and Jörgensen’s reluctance to come for the ball allowed Luke Shaw to head it to Casemiro, who finished easily in acres of space at the far post.
Record-Breaking First Half Concludes
However, the drama wasn’t finished. Casemiro, who had been booked earlier in the half, received his second yellow card just before the break for bringing down compatriot Santos. The Brazilian became the first Manchester United player to score and be sent off in the first half of a Premier League match, and the first player overall in the competition to achieve this feat since Emmanuel Adebayor for Tottenham against Arsenal in November 2012.
This created Premier League history as the first game to see both sides receive red cards in the first half since Chelsea’s encounter with Crystal Palace in October 2014. Remarkably, it was also the first match in Premier League history to feature 2+ goals, 2+ red cards, and 2+ substitutions all in the first half.
Ten-Man Battle and Late Drama
Amorim responded to Casemiro’s dismissal by introducing Manuel Ugarte for Sesko at half-time, leaving very few attacking players on the pitch for either team. The relentless rain continued to affect play, with the ball holding up on the waterlogged surface and both teams struggling to string together meaningful passing sequences.
Maresca made his final substitutions in the 64th minute, bringing on Malo Gusto and Tyrique George, though notably former United player Alejandro Garnacho remained on the bench throughout.
It took Chelsea until the 80th minute to register their first shot on target, but when they did, it halved the deficit. James floated a ball into the box following a short corner, and Chalobah rose highest and unmarked to nod home, making things interesting in the closing stages.
Despite the late pressure, United held firm to secure a much-needed victory that moves them up to ninth place on seven points, just one behind Chelsea, who drop to sixth following the end of their unbeaten start to the Premier League season. For Chelsea, this result extends their unwanted record to 13 Premier League away games without victory against Manchester United (D7 L6) – against no other side have they ever been on such a long winless run on the road in the competition.
The victory provides Ruben Amorim with some much-needed breathing space following United’s difficult start to the season, while Chelsea’s unbeaten record comes to an end despite showing resilience with 10 men for most of the match.
What records were broken in this match?
First Premier League game with 2+ goals, 2+ red cards, and 2+ substitutions in the first half. Chelsea made their earliest three substitutions ever (21 minutes).
What milestone did Bruno Fernandes achieve?
Scored his 100th United goal on his 200th Premier League appearance, becoming the fifth player to score on their 200th appearance for United.
Why was Casemiro sent off after scoring?
Received two yellow cards in the first half – first Manchester United player to score and be sent off in the same half since 2012.
How does this affect Chelsea’s record at Old Trafford?
Extends their winless run to 13 games (D7 L6) – haven’t won at Old Trafford since May 2013.
What was significant about the early red cards?
Both teams received red cards in the first half for the first time since Chelsea vs Crystal Palace in October 2014.
