The first half ended with goals from Casemiro and Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes from the penalty spot, and Marcus Rashford, who scored his 30th goal of the season across all competitions despite Chelsea having plenty of chances in the first 45 minutes with Manchester United. Late in the game, Chelsea’s replacement Joao Felix managed to score, but it was too late.
Even before the opening goal, both teams had chances to break the draw. Jadon Sancho’s finer touch might have allowed United to advance, and Mykhailo Mudryk blundered following a strong run and cross from Lewis Hall, a young left-back.
Chelsea will be angry with how United scored because Casemiro was allowed to waltz through unopposed in the heart of the box and head in a free kick that was inswinging from Christian Eriksen. Although there was a brief wait to check for offside, the goal was upheld by the VAR judgment.
Conor Gallagher and Kai Havertz miscommunicated, preventing the latter from setting up the former in front of goal during a promising Chelsea counterattack moments later. Martial also lacked this level of skill when a clumsy touch caused a three-on-one burst to fail.
The prolonged treatment for Antony, who appeared to have damaged his ankle in a challenge by Trevoh Chalobah, was a serious concern from the standpoint of Manchester United.
The Brazilian was eventually carried off on a stretcher, and the FA Cup final next month may have been the last game of his campaign.
Chelsea’s greatest opportunities continued to come from 18-year-old Hall, who sent another beautiful cross into the box from the left that Havertz bizarrely headed far wide. A better team than Chelsea would have benefited from the room that United was giving them, and a final chance for Gallagher to score was lost just before halftime.
Since United’s goal, the visitors had been the superior team, but Martial’s second-half goal made them regret not capitalizing on their superiority even more. Sancho, who was on hand to receive Casemiro’s no-look chip, found United’s number nine for a tap-in.
After the break, United continued where they left off as Fernandes hit the angle between post and bar. When Kepa Arrizabalaga miraculously plucked away an Eriksen goal-bound touch after the latter failed to make perfect contact with a cross that was coming from slightly behind him, they should have added a third goal as well. Casemiro followed up from the edge of the box with a controlled shot that went just wide.
Then, at the other end, two David de Gea stops in quick succession held off Chelsea, the first a diving catch after Mudryk’s attempt had been deflected and the second a parry from a strong Hall drive.
The goals Chelsea had previously let up had served as a type of season summary, but Wesley Fofana’s penalty was particularly egregious. The £75 million center-back acted hastily when Fernandes nudged him in the area, flicking a lazy leg at the United captain, who then quickly sprang up to easily score from 12 yards.
By the end, those in blue had disintegrated. Fofana was terrible for the fourth goal after being awful for the previous two. He made a terrible pass on the outskirts of his own area that gifted the ball to Fernandes, and Rashford beat him after Kepa stopped his initial attempt. However, the United player was perfect with the rebound.
Alejandro Garnacho’s effort was deflected as the home team attempted a fifth goal, and the teenager also forced Kepa into a deft save as stoppage time approached. In the meanwhile, Chelsea did score a goal, and it was a magnificent goal from Felix, who showed off the type of talent that none of his colleagues could by pushing the ball from midfield and then unleashing a low drive from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom corner.
Player rankings for Man Utd (4-2-3-1)
GK: 6/10 for David de Gea. Impressive stops were made just after the hour mark, arriving at a crucial time as United continued to extend its advantage.
RB Aaron Wan-Bissaka earned a score of 6/10 after defeating Mudryk and Pulisic.
CB: Raphael Varane — 6/10 — Despite the fact that Chelsea missed a number of opportunities and failed to make the most of the space they had, the Frenchman was still very at ease.
CB: 6/10 Victor Lindelof didn’t miss a beat when moving.
Luke Shaw, LB, scored a 6/10 and was taken off when United was up at the break.
CM: Casemiro (8/10) – Scored again this season against Chelsea with a thunderous header, then made the second and came near on another occasion.
Christian Eriksen earned a 7/10 for placing a free kick on Casemiro’s head and recording an assist. His vulnerability at a double pivot was evident in open play, indicating that this isn’t the correct option for him.
RM: N/A for Antony In what seemed to be great anguish, the stretcher was carried away.
AM: 8/10 Bruno Fernandes (c) Early in the second half, he struck the woodwork before earning and scoring a penalty to score.
LM: Jadon Sancho received a 7 out of 10. To set up the vital second goal, he made a really clever move, and his cross was well composed.
Anthony Martial received a score of 7/10 for missing a really fine early opportunity and then showing a poacher’s sense by placing himself to score United’s second goal.
Marcus Rashford (in the 29th minute, replacing Antony) – 8/10
Tyrell Malacia (46 seconds for Shaw) – 7/10
Alejandro Garnacho (in the 70th minute for Martial) – 7/10
Fred was a 70-second replacement for Eriksen.
N/A Substitution: Scott McTominay (86′ for Fernandes)
Butland, Maguire, Dalot, and Weghorst were not substituted.
Erik ten Hag, manager: 8/10 In the second half, his squad played significantly better overall, indicating that whatever he said during the first half was effective.
Player rankings for Chelsea (4-3-3)
GK Kepa Arrizabalaga earned a rating of 5/10 for preventing United from scoring a 3-0 second-half run. Despite surrendering twice before that, hadn’t done anything.
RB Cesar Azpilicueta (c) earned a score of 6/10 for his performance against considerably younger and quicker players on the wings. He was let down by his squad.
Wesley Fofana, CB, scored 2/10. Casemiro was at fault for the goal because he failed to apply pressure and gave up the penalty with a shoddy attempt to make a challenge after getting nutmegged. However, the fourth goal’s errors were the worst of all of them.
Miles is the superior Chelsea center-back, but it wasn’t difficult to see. CB: Trevoh Chalobah – 5/10.
Lewis Hall, LB, 6/10 He moved forward and sent several excellent crosses into the penalty area, but the second goal scored by United was the result of bad tracking on his part.
CM: Carney Chukwuemeka – 6/10 – Good passer, good numbers, but didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the game.
Enzo Fernandez had a passing percentage of 6/10. Could have maybe done more given how vulnerable United’s defense was at times.
Conor Gallagher scored a 5/10. Several times, got up in favor of Havertz, but their relationship never really connected.
Noni Madueke received a rating of 5/10 while on the field.
Kai Havertz received a score of 4/10 for lacking quality at crucial times.
Fast movement, but too frequently guilty of heavy touches when it really counted and seemed to lack confidence. LW: Mykhailo Mudryk – 5/10.
Joao Felix (in the 64th minute, replacing Havertz) – 7/10
Mudryk is replaced by Christian Pulisic in the 64th second.
Gallagher is replaced by David Datro Fofana in the 82nd minute.
Madueke is replaced by Hakim Ziyech in the 82nd minute.
Chukwuemeka substitutes Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the 82nd minute.
Mendy, Silva, Koulibaly, and Gilchrist were not substitutes.
Frank Lampard, manager – 4/10 This team can perform better under a competent manager. It’s not him.
Casemiro of Man Utd was named the game’s MVP.