Fernandes Hits 100th Goal As Manchester United Overcomes Chelsea At Old Trafford

‎Manchester United secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford, extending their remarkable unbeaten Premier League home run against the Blues to 13 games.

‎On a night when torrential rain and fiery tackles set the stage, both sides finished the first half with 10 men, but it was United who showed greater composure to take all three points.

‎A Chaotic Start Under the Rain

‎The pace for the evening was set just five minutes in. Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez made a reckless dash off his line, colliding with Bryan Mbeumo after failing to deal with Benjamin Šeško’s clever flick-on.

‎The rash decision saw Sánchez dismissed, forcing Enzo Maresca into an early reshuffle. Despite the double substitution, Chelsea never quite regained their composure.

‎Bruno Fernandes, on the night of his 100th Manchester United goal, opened the scoring after 14 minutes.

‎The Portuguese playmaker ghosted in behind Chelsea’s defense, turning Patrick Dorgu’s header beyond stand-in keeper Filip Jörgensen to send Old Trafford into celebration.

‎Maresca, visibly frustrated on the touchline, sacrificed Cole Palmer for Andrey Santos as he desperately sought stability. But Chelsea’s defense continued to creak, and United doubled their lead when Luke Shaw kept a short-corner routine alive and Casemiro rose highest to nod the ball home.

‎Casemiro’s Red

‎The match looked to be heading into halftime with United firmly in control, but there was a twist. Casemiro, already booked for a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernández in the 17th minute, made a clumsy foul on Santos deep into stoppage time.

‎The Brazilian was shown a second yellow card, leaving both sides with 10 men after a chaotic opening period.

‎The decision gave Chelsea a glimmer of hope, and Ruben Amorim responded by introducing Manuel Ugarte for Šeško at the interval, signaling a switch to a more compact midfield.

‎Chelsea Push Back in the Second Half

‎The rain-slicked pitch made fluid football nearly impossible, but Chelsea began to grow into the contest. They thought they had halved the deficit just after the hour when Wesley Fofana headed home from a corner, only for VAR to intervene and rule him narrowly offside.

‎United, for their part, relied on Fernandes’ creativity to carve out half-chances, but Jörgensen was equal to the threat. The atmosphere turned nervy in the final 10 minutes when Chelsea finally found a breakthrough.

‎Reece James delivered a pinpoint cross, and Trevoh Chalobah rose unmarked to power his header past Altay Bayındır, setting up a grandstand finish.

‎Holding On for the Win

‎Old Trafford held its breath as Chelsea pushed for an equalizer. Andrey Santos nearly snatched it in stoppage time, but Manuel Ugarte’s last-ditch block preserved United’s fragile lead.

‎Seven tense minutes of added time eventually ticked away, and the final whistle was greeted with a roar of relief from the home crowd.

‎What This Means

‎For United, the win is a timely boost after a stuttering start to the season, with Ruben Amorim securing his second victory in three games to ease the pressure on his tenure.

‎Chelsea, meanwhile, tasted their first Premier League defeat of the campaign.

‎Maresca’s side is now winless in three across all competitions, with Sánchez’s rash dismissal serving as a costly moment.