Manchester United never seem to be far away from the drama in the Premier League and Saturday’s win over Chelsea saw records broken.
Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro were on the scoresheet at Old Trafford as Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League.
A second win in the first five league matches means the Red Devils currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.
But picking up three points was far from easy. Ruben Amorim demanded aggression from his players, but Casemiro let his emotion get the better of him and was sent off in the first half after United found themselves 2-0 up and in control.
Amorim defended Casemiro despite his red card, but there is no denying that the Brazilian unnecessarily added to what was a chaotic first half of football.
Chaotic Man United vs Chelsea was a Premier League first
Scoring goals has been an issue for United this season, but the Red Devils took a two-goal lead into half time at Old Trafford.
They were helped by an early red card shown to Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, and that decision sent Enzo Maresca into a substitution spiral. The visitors made three substitutions in the opening 20 minutes of the match.
As pointed out by BBC Match of the Day on X, the first half played between United and Chelsea was the first time in Premier League history that there were two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half of a match.
Amorim has repeatedly spoken about his desire for United to control matches, and while he will be pleased with his players’ performances and determination, it was much more chaotic than he would have liked.
Man United made hard work of Chelsea win
United boasted a two-goal lead over Chelsea’s 10 men in the first half, and yet there was still a nervous atmosphere among the fans at Old Trafford – that speaks for itself.
Casemiro’s careless sending off – albeit controversial – meant that Amorim once again found himself pacing up and down his technical area throughout the second half.
Trevoh Chalobah’s header with 10 minutes to go only added to the anxiety around Old Trafford.
READ MORE: Six biggest winners and two losers as Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1
However, Amorim can be proud of the grit and determination shown by his players in the closing stages of the game. An important win must now be a building block for the future.
But moving forward, Amorim will be demanding that his players take control of matches when they have a clear advantage.
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