Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea: Premier League – Live Response – The Guardian

Bruno Fernandes speaks to Sky. “It’s a decent season… it’s not perfect because we want more… but we won a trophy and finished in the top four… now it’s about finishing the league well, going to the FA Cup and winning… we’ve won a lot of home games… The fans have created a great atmosphere for us… we know the fans are happy Liverpool aren’t there [in the Champions League] But that’s not what we’re about, it’s about ourselves… The FA Cup final for us is about winning the trophy… We know if we win it we’re going to ruin City’s chance of winning the treble, but for us it’s about getting another trophy .”

A bit of an odd game as if Chelsea had shown any sort of competence up front they would easily have taken the lead at half-time. But United were more clinical. Then, in the second half, United stepped up a gear and Chelsea had no answer…although João Felix’s goal was nice. Too bad Chelsea don’t have an option on him. And so Erik ten Hag has fulfilled the two requirements that were placed on him at the beginning of the season: back in the Champions League and win a trophy. As for Chelsea… well, there are more questions than answers. The end-of-season debriefing at Stamford Bridge will be quite an investigation.

FULL TIME: Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea

Manchester United is back in the Champions League! Chelsea in shambles; Old Trafford at the festival.

Updated on 04/22 BST

90 minutes +3: Sancho defends to the right of the baseline. McTominay’s shot hits Kepa in the chest.

90 minutes +2: Fernandez tries to release David Fofana in the middle but his pass gets blocked. “Being a Chelsea fan isn’t even the same [Word redacted by Sweary Ed] now,” writes Carl Whinder. “It’s just confusing.”

90 minutes +1: The first of four more minutes passes quietly. Gary Neville names Casemiro his player of the game on Sky.

90 minutes: Space for the lively garnacho in the bottom left. He shoots deep and hard from a tight angle. The ball bounces past Kepa into the corner, but nothing comes out of it.

GOAL! Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea (Felix 89)

Felix picks up the ball in the center circle and drives through the middle. He’s got team-mates on either side but as he reaches the edge of the United D he hurls a nice low shot over De Gea to the bottom left. “We scored a goal!” Yell at the Chelsea fans and have fun in Gallows humor mode.

Updated at 21:56 BST

87 mins: Loftus-Cheek and David Fofana attempt a one-two down the inside left channel but Casemiro has no chance. He remains steadfast to lead the ball to a goal kick. “I don’t know how much Man Utd paid for Casemiro but he exudes the class of a player who has seen and done everything for the Galacticos,” writes Colum Fordham. “Goals, assists, so much. And it’s worth more than all the crazy purchases Chelsea have made this year. He’s (partly) the reason why Man U and not my team, Liverpool, will be playing Champions League football next year.”

85 minutes: Fernandes is replaced by McTominay. He gets the ovation he deserves for his good performance.

84 mins: Garnacho attacks from the left and aims to the top right. His shot bounces off the attacking Chalobah’s butt and hits the bar. That would have put the finishing touches to this fiasco for Chelsea.

83 mins: David Fofana dribbles hard down the left flank and briefly threatens to give himself a shot. But Lindelof locks it and closes the door. Here’s Colm Ó Riain: “With so many delicious storylines from this year’s decade-long season vying for our attention, it still amazes me how little attention is being paid to the fact that the February 2022 world champions were ‘celebrated’ by spending over 500 million dollars… to finish in the bottom half of their domestic league for the first time since 1996.” Oh, there will be attention. The grace period is lengthening. The attention is great.

82 mins: Chelsea make a triple substitution. Chukwumena, Madueke and Gallagher are replaced by Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech and David Fofana.

80 minutes: A cross from Chelsea right. Pulisic goes up to the header. A foul on De Gea who shoves Pulisic in the back. Pulisic turns in view of throwing hands. Lindelof intervenes before everyone calms down a bit. Chelsea’s frustration is obvious.

GOAL! Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea (Rashford 78)

Fofana plays from behind. A careless pass from right to left across the front of the Chelsea box. Sancho intercepts on the right edge of the D and rolls inside to Rashford, who gets some luck with a deflection from Kepa before pouncing on the loose ball and rolling into the empty goal from six yards. Chelsea is in ruins.

Updated at 21:54 BST

77 mins: Fernandes smashes a pass down the inside left channel and almost clears Rashford, who is forced to parry the ball. But he exchanges passes with Garnacho, then rolls powerfully to the bottom right. Broad. But whatever, because…

75 minutes: While Fernandes celebrates, Fernandez and Malacia engage in a shove fight. For a moment it threatens to start, but soon everything calms down. Malacia and Fernandez are suspended.

Updated at 21:53 BST

GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Chelsea (Fernandes penalty 73)

Fernandes gives Kepa the eyes. The keeper moves and Fernandes pings a sidefoot to the bottom right corner. clinical!

Penalty for United!

72 mins: Fernandes hits Fofana with a nutmeg and enters the box from the left. Frustrated, Fofana stretches out a leg and slices his opponent. The referee points to the spot and this is the first penalty Chelsea have conceded all season in the Premier League.

Updated at 21:42 BST

71 mins: United make a double substitution, replacing Eriksen and Martial with Garnacho and Fred.

69 mins: United fans relax: It’s not like that. The VAR checks and although Casemiro Gallagher waves his hand to his face it looks like a fluke as the two lose their balance and fight for the ball. We keep playing.

68 mins: Gallagher charges through the inside left channel into United’s box where he goes down clutching his face. Casemiro in the immediate vicinity. United fans will hope that is not the case.

67 mins: … but it leads to nothing.

66 mins: Felix is ​​quickly involved, combining with Azpilicueta down the right to win a Chelsea corner…

64 mins: Double change at Chelsea: Havertz and Mudryk make way for Felix and Pulisic. Havertz has the audacity to throw a little tantrum when leaving. Given how outspoken he and his team-mates have been in front of goal today and all season, he would do well to keep his advice.

63 mins: Chukwuemeka has an opportunity to release Hall down the left only to overcook the pass. United counters into the space Hall left behind and Sancho charges up. Chelsea breathe again as the move fails.

61 mins: Madueke charges into United’s penalty area from the right and stands on Casemiro’s foot. He goes over and demands a penalty. Neither the referee nor the VAR show any interest in complying with his request and quite rightly so.

60 minutes: Madueke dribbles in from the right but loses possession. Rashford charges forward on the break and then sends Fernandes into the box on the left. Fernandes has the right to shoot – the angle isn’t that tight – but decides to return in hopes of returning the ball to the onrushing Rashford. But the pass falters and flies past behind Rashford. His generosity is not rewarded.

59 mins: … Hall shoots into the goal from a tight angle from the right. De Gea parried the screamer brilliantly. The ball bounces back to Mudryk, whose last deflected shot is deflected into the grateful keeper’s arms.

Updated at 21:26 BST

58 mins: Madueke drives down the right flank and picks up a free kick from Malacia. Then Azpilicueta is sent into space on the same flank. He wins a corner from which…

56 mins: Mudryk charges in from the left but is knocked out by Wan-Bissaka. Just a stern word from the referee who is lenient at the end of the season.

54 mins: Azpilicueta falls ill again and needs further treatment. He will keep fighting.

52 mins: However, United want another one. Malacia crosses flat from the left. Eriksen tries to bring the ball home, but Kepa fails on the line. The ball goes to Casemiro, who misses a shot on the right edge. So close to a third.

50 minutes: …so Mudryk dribbles in from the left with perfectly weird timing and fires a shot down the left. De Gea sees it late and taps around the post to the corner, but nothing develops from it. Better from the expensive winger, even if the bar isn’t set high.

49 mins: Gallagher and Madueke combined well down the right tonight and again they threaten to put United ahead with some crisp passes. Not quite, but if Chelsea want to get back into this situation, the right winger could be the best option. “I know that’s a moot point given how the season has gone,” Russell Yong begins, “but considering how hard they tried and who they ended up getting, Arsenal have to be so, so glad they got a Having PL ready.” Trossard ready to fight and not Mudryk who admittedly didn’t get ripped off overnight but seems far from ready as a Premier League player.”

47 mins: United almost made it to third place in a short space of time! Lindelof robs Gallagher in midfield and United breaks out in front. Sancho smashes through down the inside right and parries Fernandes, who aims for the top right corner but misses just wide, instead shattering the link between the post and the crossbar. Nice move.

Updated at 21:20 BST

Manchester United, on the verge of going 11th without defeat against Chelsea, get the ball rolling in the second half. Malacia replaces Shaw while Richard Hirst (8pm) is busy downgrading his hopes ahead of the game: “Well I guess I have to take comfort in the possibility of Chelsea slipping further down the table: Wolves and West Ham have to their lips argue.”

Since Ipswich Town turned the tide against Ron Atkinson’s side in 1984, Manchester United have not lost a league game at home after leading at half-time. Given this amazing stat, we can say with some certainty that Erik ten Hag’s men will have one foot and four toes in next season’s Champions League. From today’s perspective, they will also edge Newcastle into third place.

HALFTIME: Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea

This is Chelsea’s season in microcosm. They had more possession and created more chances… and look at the result. Had Chelsea shown even a modicum of competence in the last third, they would certainly be leading this game. Erik ten Hag is undeceived and charges down the tunnel with an expression that suggests some home truths lie ahead for his defenders.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea (Martial 45+5)

Fernandes tries to assert himself on the right. He’s blocked. The ball goes to Casemiro, who forces a pass down the inside right channel to Sancho. One touch and the ball rolls over the goal area of ​​Martial, who runs with the side foot into the empty goal. A goal and an assist (so to speak) for Casemiro!

Updated at 20:56 BST

45 mins +4: Space for Sancho in the right inner channel. He has options down the middle but doesn’t draw on anyone in particular, allowing Chukwuemeka to march off the field. Old Trafford groans.

45 minutes +3: There’s a tough audience tonight, by the way. “Technically it was pathetic,” writes John Ryan, while Rotimi Styles adds, “I’m starting to have doubts about Mudryk’s ability as a professional footballer.”

45 minutes +1: The first of six added minutes passes without incident.

45 minutes: Fernandez slipped a pass down the inside right channel to Gallagher, who burst into the box and slid a shot past De Gea and just inches wide of the left post. Another great opportunity missed! It’s not often that I say this, but I would be interested in the xG of that first half.

Updated at 20:53 BST

44 mins: Azpilicueta’s cute heel sends Gallagher to the center. He opens his body and aims a curler at the top right corner of the net. It only finds the top right corner of the Stretford End. A few higher-ranked teammates berate him for his inaccuracy, though they have bloody cheek given what happened before.

42 mins: Madueke drives down the right side and cuts back to Gallagher, who lost control of the ball from six yards out and fired a shot. United are half clear but Chelsea come again and again it’s Madueke who reaches the baseline on the right before crossing deep towards Hall. The young left-back ducks his chest and shoots, but it’s blocked. Chelsea are good at the top right now and creating chances. No idea why they didn’t score at least once.

40 minutes: Fernandez rolls an inviting pass down the inside left channel for Mudryk. Any player with any confidence would touch a ball, enter the area and shoot. However, Mudryk has no chance and literally hurls the ball into the channel and kicks the goal with his first ball contact.

39 mins: Mudryk makes a one-two with Havertz in the middle and almost gets a shot. But he doesn’t quite get the ball under control and United clears it.

37 mins: A slight lull. Hey, it’s been a long season for everyone.

35 minutes: Sancho dribbles from left to inside. He puts Azpilicueta down only to fire into a thicket of other Chelsea defenders. clogged. Turned off.

34 mins: Fofana easily cuts Fernandes on the heel in the Chelsea penalty area. The referee waves on. VAR has a check. It’s one of those: not as clear or obvious, and therefore the decision on the pitch remains. If the referee had pointed to the point, this decision would certainly have stood. Good old VAR, right? NO.

Updated at 20.45 BST