Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez brings down Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd edge chaotic Chelsea clash after Sanchez red card

Manchester United secured a priceless 2-1 victory over Chelsea in torrential conditions at Old Trafford, a match shaped by a fifth-minute red card for goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and defined by chaos, drama, and tactical gambles.

In a Premier League first-half filled with red cards, goals, and early substitutions, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro struck to seal three points for Ruben Amorim’s men. Chelsea, despite pulling a goal back through Trevor Chalobah, extended their winless run at Old Trafford, which dates back to 2013.

Early Chaos – Sanchez Sees Red

The match swung in United’s favour almost instantly when Robert Sanchez was dismissed after just 4 minutes and 1 second, becoming Chelsea’s earliest-ever Premier League red card. The Spanish keeper brought down Bryan Mbeumo outside his box to deny a clear goal-scoring opportunity, forcing Enzo Maresca into drastic changes.

Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian were sacrificed as Chelsea brought on Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo to reshape the team into a defensive 5-3-1 formation.

United Capitalise – But Casemiro Sees Red Too

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring in the 14th minute, quickly followed by injury heartache for Cole Palmer, who limped off with a groin injury — replaced by Andrey Santos. Just before half-time, Casemiro doubled United’s lead with a close-range finish but undid his good work minutes later by receiving a second yellow for hauling down Santos.

It was the first time in Premier League history a game had featured multiple goals, multiple red cards, and three substitutions all within the opening 45 minutes.

Nervy Finish in the Rain

In a rain-drenched second half, Trevor Chalobah gave Chelsea hope with a header in the 80th minute, but United held on for a vital win. The result lifts them into the top half of the table, only two points off the top four, and eases some pressure on Amorim amid recent instability.

Chelsea, meanwhile, suffer another blow after a tough week that included a draw at Brentford and a Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. Palmer’s injury could be a significant setback going forward.