Match report: United 2 Chelsea 1

The game exploded into life in the fifth minute when Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was shown a straight red card for bringing Bryan Mbeumo down outside the box.

Our captain Fernandes guided the ball home from Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu’s knockdown to open the scoring in the 14th minute. Casemiro doubled the lead with a close-range header before he was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a harsh second yellow card.

The Reds remained focused on the task in hand in the second half and, although Trevor Chalobah’s header gave Chelsea late hope, Ruben Amorim’s men saw out a second Premier League win of the season and inflicted the west Londoners’ first league defeat of the campaign to move into the top half of the table. 

The boss made two changes from the derby defeat to Manchester City as Harry Maguire made his first Premier League start of the season in defence and Casemiro returned in midfield, with Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte moving to the substitutes’ bench.

Chelsea, meanwhile, also made two alterations from the side that suffered their first defeat of the season in midweek against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, as Wesley Fofana and Estevao came into the XI at the expense of Tosin Adarabioyo and Malo Gusto, who were among the substitutes alongside Alejandro Garnacho, who left Old Trafford to join the Blues last month.

FIRST HALF - MILESTONE FOR BRUNO AS BOTH TEAMS SEE RED

The rain continued to pour relentlessly in M16 as the teatime kick-off got under way but it did not dampen the atmosphere, which was electric from all corners of the Theatre of Dreams.

The Reds started on the front foot as Dorgu’s cross bounced in the area and was met by the head of Mbeumo but it was straight at Sanchez, who clawed it away.

It proved to be the goalkeeper’s last touch of the ball before he was sent off by referee Peter Bankes in a dramatic turn of events, for denying Mbeumo a clear goalscoring opportunity as he latched onto Benjamin Sesko’s flick-on through the centre.

The dismissal - Chelsea’s earliest ever in a Premier League game, and the third earliest in the competition for a goalkeeper - prompted a rare occurrence as Blues boss Enzo Maresca made not one but two changes, with attackers Estevao and Pedro Neto sacrificed to introduce deputy stopper Filip Jorgensen and defender Adarabioyo.

From the resulting incident, Mbeumo saw his effort deflect narrowly over the crossbar after Fernandes’s free-kick struck the wall. But our no.8 was on target in the 14th minute as he stole in behind the Blues’ backline to steer the ball past Jorgensen for his landmark moment, after Noussair Mazraoui’s cross was headed down by Dorgu.

Following a check by Video Assistant Referee Craig Pawson lasting almost two minutes, Fernandes was adjudged to be level with Adarabioyo by the tightest of margins.

The Reds kept up the pressure as Mbeumo curled a left-footed shot over from just outside the box, before the United faithful cheered the early departure of former Manchester City forward Cole Palmer - who has suffered with a groin injury of late - as Andrey Santos became the third Chelsea player to come off the bench in just the 21st minute.

Casemiro had the ball in the net but it was ruled out, with Amad clearly dribbling the ball out of play before crossing for the Brazilian to head home.

But he didn’t have to wait long to celebrate a goal that would stand, nevertheless, as netted his third in six league outings against Chelsea. The midfielder had the simple task of nodding home from close range after Maguire headed a sliced Reece James clearance in the air across the face of goal, following a cross by Mazraoui which was met at the back post initially by Dorgu.

But the evening ended early for our no.18, who was harshly shown a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time for a foul on Andrey Santos, moments before Chelsea boss Maresca was booked for dissent, as the Reds had the lead but not the numerical advantage any more heading into the break.

SECOND HALF - RESILIENT REDS GET JOB DONE DESPITE LATE SCARE

The boss opted to bolster the midfield following Casemiro’s dismissal by bringing on Manuel Ugarte at the break in place of Sesko.

The sodden surface began to affect the flow of the game, which became very scrappy and littered with fouls, with Enzo Fernandez and Chalobah booked in quick succession as Chelsea sought to disrupt United’s rhythm.

Even when the Blues threatened, United stayed firm in defence as Matthijs de Ligt made a fine clearance to prevent Reece James’s low cross from finding a team-mate.

The Blues thought they had pulled a goal back when captain James’s corner was flicked on by Adarabioyo and headed in from close range by fellow defender Wesley Fofana but he was clearly offside.

Garnacho received a hot reception as he warmed up down the touchline but surprisingly did not make it onto the field as Maresca opted to send on Tyrique George and Malo Gusto in place of Fofana and Marc Cucurella.

Despite Mbeumo’s number first being shown on the fourth official’s board, it was Mazraoui who made way for the return from injury of Matheus Cunha. Former Chelsea man Mason Mount soon returned from his own lay-off and Yoro also got a run-out, with Mbeumo eventually leaving the field along with the impressive Maguire as the boss freshened the team up further.

The Reds kept probing as Amad flashed an acrobatic attempt off target after De Ligt did well to keep the attack alive by digging out a searching cross.

However, the momentum really shifted in the 80th minute when Fernandez played a corner short to James, who lifted in a cross and picked out Chalobah to plant a header past Altay Bayindir to halve the deficit.

At the other end, Fernandes typically carried the fight forward and unleashed a fierce right-footed shot which was tipped around the post by Jorgensen after dispossessing James in the centre-circle.

The closing stages became frantic as Chelsea suddenly saw an equaliser that for long periods looked improbable in their sights. But United - who replaced Fernandes with Kobbie Mainoo late on - survived several nervy moments and seven minutes of stoppage time to valiantly hold on for three vital points, which extends our unbeaten home record against the Club World Cup holders to 13 games, stretching back to May 2013.

MATCH DETAILS

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

Substitutes not used: Lammens, Fredricson, Heaven, Zirkzee.

Goals: Fernandes 14, Casemiro 37.

Booked: Casemiro 17.

Sent off: Casemiro 45+5.

Chelsea: Sanchez; James (c), Chalobah, Fofana (George 64), Cucurella (Gusto 64); Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao (Jorgensen 6), Palmer (Andrey Santos 21), Neto (Adarabioyo 7); Joao Pedro.

Substitutes not used: Hato, Garnacho, Gittens, Guiu. Goals: Chalobah 80

Booked: Cucurella 44, Fernandez 48, Chalobah 50, George 72, Adarabioyo 90+6.

Sent off: Sanchez 5.