Sunday 21 / September / 2025
Manchester: In a match of extraordinary first-half chaos, Manchester United secured a priceless Premier League victory over Chelsea, navigating torrential rain and two red cards to claim a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
The game’s trajectory was set in the fifth minute when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was shown a straight red card. The Spaniard raced out of his area and upended Bryan Mbeumo, who was clear through on an empty net. The dramatic dismissal forced Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca into a drastic reshuffle, sacrificing wingers Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian to bring on a substitute goalkeeper. Their attacking woes were compounded when Cole Palmer had to be replaced with a groin injury, meaning Chelsea lost three key forwards within 20 minutes.
Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, United struck twice. Captain Bruno Fernandes broke the deadlock before midfielder Casemiro powered in a header. The madness continued as Casemiro was then also sent off before the interval, making it ten vs. ten and capping a historically chaotic first half—the first in Premier League history to feature two goals, two red cards, and multiple substitutions before the break.
Chelsea's Trevor Chalobah headed in a consolation goal with 10 minutes remaining, but a resilient United held firm under pressure to see out the win. The result, achieved in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, marks only United's second win of the season and extends Chelsea's miserable winless run at Old Trafford to over a decade, dating back to the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
