Manchester United have undergone yet more days of uncertainty and scrutiny following the derby defeat and lack of performance at the Etihad. Amorim’s style and approach tactically continues to divide the footballing world, with a result against Chelsea on Saturday night much needed to rebalance the scales in Amorim’s favour.

With the rain coming down heavy at Old Trafford, United started strongly, bringing about a red-card for Chelsea’s keeper in the opening minutes, which allowed pressure to increase from the attacking line as they went 2-0 up. However, what looked like a great evening from the under-pressure squad, turned back in the visitors favour as Casemiro made a silly decision which saw a second yellow card and the game rebalanced, giving United’s defence a lot more to consider in the second half.

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Teams

Manchester United: Bayindir, Shaw, Maguire (Yoro 70′), De Ligt, Dorgu, Fernandes (Mainoo 87′), Casemiro, Mazraoui (Cunha 65′), Amad, Mbeumo (Mount 69′), Sesko (Ugarte 46′)

Subs: Lammens, Heaven, Fredricson, Zirkzee

Chelsea: Sanchez, Cucurella (George 64′), Chalobah, Fofana (Malo Gusto 64′), James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Estevao (Jorgensen 6′), Palmer (Andrey Santos 21′), Neto (Tosin 7′), Joao Pedro

Subs: Hato, Garnacho, Gittens, Guiu

Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea

A wet and blustery Old Trafford afternoon served up drama from the opening minutes. Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was shown a straight red card inside five minutes for bringing down Bryan Mbeumo, who had been sent clear by a clever flick from Benjamin Šeško. The visitors were forced into an immediate reshuffle, introducing substitute keeper Filip Jørgensen and sacrificing an outfield player to steady their defence.

With the man advantage, United quickly seized control. In the 14th minute Bruno Fernandes marked his 200th Premier League appearance with a milestone 100th goal for the club. Just before the half-hour, Amad’s teasing cross was headed back across goal by Luke Shaw and nodded in by Casemiro to give the hosts a deserved two-goal cushion.

Chelsea’s hopes were revived just before the break when Casemiro received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Andrey Santos, reducing United to ten men and levelling the numbers. The second half saw the visitors dominate possession despite the heavy rain, pushing United deeper and creating a series of half-chances. The slippery surface made fluent attacking play tricky, but the London side steadily grew into the contest.

Chelsea finally made their pressure tell in the 80th minute when Trevoh Chalobah met Reece James’s corner with a thumping header to pull a goal back. The Blues poured forward in the closing stages, but Altay Bayindir produced two sharp saves and United’s back line held firm to secure all three points.

The victory was a timely boost for new United boss Ruben Amorim after an inconsistent start to the season, lifting his side towards the top half of the Premier League table. Chelsea suffered their first league defeat of the campaign, but their spirited second-half display, despite playing most of the match a man down, offered encouragement for manager Enzo Maresca as the season gathers pace.

Talking Points

Manchester United’s 2–1 victory over Chelsea should have been a routine win once Robert Sánchez was dismissed so early, but Casemiro’s second yellow late in the first half flipped the contest on its head. What looked like a comfortable afternoon suddenly became a tense rearguard effort, with United forced to defend for long stretches of the second half. Altay Bayindir’s sharp saves and good organisation at the back were crucial as Chelsea poured forward, ensuring Amorim’s side clung on to a result that felt far less secure than it might have been.

Yet for all the drama, this was an oddly inconclusive game. Chelsea spent large periods a man light, and United played the entire second half without one of their key midfield anchors, leaving both teams unable to truly showcase their tactical plans. Chelsea’s late rally will hearten their supporters, but it came against a United side content to sit deep, while United’s attacking rhythm remains difficult to judge given the stop-start nature of the contest and the early red card that shaped everything.

Perhaps most telling was Ruben Amorim’s decision to stick rigidly to his 3-4-3 setup even when United enjoyed a numerical advantage. Rather than flood forward to kill the game at 2–0, the Portuguese coach chose control over risk, keeping his wing-backs disciplined and midfield compact. That conservatism ultimately helped preserve the lead once Casemiro’s dismissal changed the dynamic, but it also meant United passed up the chance to put the game beyond doubt, a choice that will invite debate as the season unfolds.