Scott McTominay netted twice, propelling Manchester United to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
In an exhilarating contest featuring a total of 41 shots, with 28 from the hosts and 13 from Chelsea, McTominay’s goals bookended Cole Palmer’s strike as the Red Devils climbed to sixth place, trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by merely three points.
The game kicked off with Man Utd showing early promise in a back-and-forth encounter. Just eight minutes in, Enzo Fernandez fouled Antony in the box, providing the Red Devils an opportunity to take the lead. However, Bruno Fernandes’ penalty was thwarted by Robert Sanchez, marking the United captain’s third miss in six spot-kicks across competitions. Sanchez’s save made him the first Chelsea goalkeeper to deny a Premier League penalty since May 2021.
In the 20th minute, McTominay capitalized on a defensive lapse, receiving the ball from Marc Cucurella’s block and calmly slotting it into the bottom-right corner to give Man Utd the lead.
Sanchez continued to showcase his goalkeeping prowess with a crucial double save in the 32nd minute, denying McTominay from close range.
Chelsea managed to equalize just before halftime when Palmer, a lifelong Man Utd supporter, received a pass from Mudryk, maneuvered across the box, and placed a shot into the bottom-right corner, marking his first goal from open play this season.
The second half saw a balanced contest, but McTominay remained a constant threat. In the 70th minute, he secured his brace by heading Alejandro Garnacho’s cross past Sanchez at the back post.
Despite a late chance for substitute Armando Broja, whose header was comfortably saved by Andre Onana, Chelsea couldn’t level the score. With this win, Man Utd secured 27 points, while Chelsea stayed in 10th place with 19 points.
