Manchester United came off a abysmal showing against Brentford on Saturday night, and despite the late Mason Mount strike, they failed to hold on to their undeserved lead for the remaining moments and conceded the equaliser to share the spoils which even taking away a point felt undeserved for Ten Hag’s side. With the incredible high of the Liverpool cup win, to then return from the international break with this poor showing but potentially useful point, eyes turned to the midweek game against an arguably more struggling outfit in Chelsea, who themselves were held by 10 man Burnley in their weekend fixture.

With an interesting set of results and performances against Chelsea in the Ten Hag reign, they have had 2 comfortable home victories, but in last season’s away outing at Stamford Bridge, it was another case of late drama as the 87th minute Jorginho penalty was nullified by a 94th minute Casemiro header to share the points. With an unbeaten run of 3 games against Chelsea, United have also seen some of their best performances against the Blues, with the earlier meeting this season feeling electric for Manchester United who flew out of the traps but still struggled to ensure the victory.

As both sides are so unpredictable and uncertain around their futures and current standing within the game, ownership changes, managerial scrutiny and big name/money players often underperforming as the younger stars are forced to shine in the gloom, it made for a fascinating game in which going into it, there was no way of truly knowing how this was destined to go, with most suggesting a draw would be the most likely outcome as both sides would likely concede but neither take full control of the game.

With the injury news of more problems for Martinez along with Lindelof making another dent in United’s defensive woes, Ten Hag was forced to makeshift another uncertain back-line which has been a huge area of concern as United allowed 106 shots in their 4 March games in all competitions, and in constant rotation with various combinations of defenders being relied on throughout the season.

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Teams

United utilised their attacking talents against Chelsea throughout the game, however in defence is where questions are raised, with yet more injury concerns at the back which saw Evans brought on and subbed off inside of 20 minutes due to a possible injury. As a result, it’s a headache that Ten Hag needs to navigate while trying to build morale after a tough end to this game.

For Chelsea, their bench looked stacked in comparison, with youth and experience at their disposal. It was Palmer’s night as the former City star and boyhood United fan brought a miserable end to this baffling clash.

Chelsea: Petrovic, Cucurella, Badiashile, Disasi (Gilchrist 75′), Gusto (Chalobah 75′), Fernandez, Caicedo (Chukwuemeka 71′), Mudryk (Sterling 71′), Gallagher (Madueke 89′), Palmer, Jackson

Subs: Bettinelli, Silva, Casadei, Tauriainen

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane (Evans 46′ – Kambwala 66′), Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Mainoo, Casemiro (McTominay 75′), Garnacho (Mount 86′), Fernandes, Antony, Hojlund (Rashford 66′)

Subs: Heaton, Amad, Eriksen, Amrabat

Chelsea 4-3 Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United delivered one of the Premier League’s most dramatic games of the 2023–24 season as the Blues edged a breathtaking 4–3 win at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea flew out of the traps, taking the lead inside four minutes when Conor Gallagher guided in a low finish after sustained early pressure. Cole Palmer then doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 19th minute after a foul on Marc Cucurella, sending the home crowd into full voice as Chelsea looked firmly in control.

But United clawed their way back with impressive resilience. Alejandro Garnacho struck in the 34th minute, punishing a Chelsea mistake in midfield, before Bruno Fernandes levelled five minutes later with a well-placed header from Diogo Dalot’s cross. The momentum had completely shifted, and United completed the turnaround on 67 minutes when Garnacho headed in his second of the night from close range, putting Erik ten Hag’s side 3–2 up after a blistering spell.

Chelsea refused to fold, and the match exploded into chaos deep into stoppage time. With the clock entering the 100th minute, Noni Madueke was brought down in the box by Dalot, prompting a VAR check before Palmer calmly buried his second penalty to make it 3–3. Remarkably, Chelsea weren’t finished: from a corner moments later, Palmer latched onto a loose ball and fired a shot that deflected off Scott McTominay and past André Onana. The goal, timed at just over 100 minutes, became the latest winning goal in Premier League history and sent Stamford Bridge into delirium.

The final whistle confirmed a stunning 4–3 victory for Chelsea, a match that swung wildly from dominance to collapse and back to triumph. It will be remembered for Palmer’s hat-trick heroics, United’s spirited fightback, and one of the most dramatic endings the Premier League has ever produced.

Talking Points

The ending at Stamford Bridge was nothing short of bewildering. What looked like a routine conclusion to a hard-fought contest suddenly imploded into chaos as Chelsea scored twice in stoppage time, turning a 3–2 United lead into a 4–3 defeat in barely a minute. Cole Palmer’s equaliser from the spot in the 100th minute was dramatic enough, but his deflected winner almost immediately afterward left United stunned and the entire stadium in disbelief. It was the kind of ending that felt surreal even as it unfolded, a dizzying collapse from one side and a wild surge of momentum from the other.

For Manchester United, the overriding frustration centred on their continued inability to manage game states. Having battled back from 2–0 down and then taken full control at 3–2, they had chances to kill the game, but instead lost composure at the decisive moment. Sloppy decision-making, poor ball retention, and a general lack of calm under pressure all contributed to the collapse. United simply could not close the door, and once Chelsea sensed vulnerability, the visitors’ structure evaporated. It was another painful example of a recurring theme: United can thrill going forward, but they too often struggle to see out results.

Compounding the disappointment were yet more defensive injury problems for Erik ten Hag’s side. With Raphaël Varane and Jonny Evans both forced off during the match, United were left fielding a patched-up back line at the very moment they most needed stability. Already missing Lisandro Martínez, Victor Lindelöf, and Luke Shaw, United’s defensive depth has been stretched to breaking point, and the constant reshuffling has made cohesion almost impossible to build. The late collapse owed partly to those absences, yet another reminder that United’s season has been undermined as much by attrition as by inconsistency.