Key events
Jonathan Wilson
Half-time reading
At half-time in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal’s hopes of a quadruple remained strong. They were unbeaten in 14, 11 of them won. They were drawing 0-0 against Manchester City and it wasn’t unreasonable to think that if the second half carried on as the first half had, they would eventually find a winner – quite possibly from a corner.
They had drawn a Championship side in the sixth round of the FA Cup and a Portuguese side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. They held a nine-point lead in the Premier League. This was shaping up to be the greatest season in Arsenal’s history.
That was four weeks ago. There remains a possibility of a Premier League and Champions League double, which would be remarkable enough, but the mood is very different now. This could become the most disappointing season in Arsenal’s history, if only because
Half time: Chelsea 0-1 Man Utd
A few half-hearted boos when Michael Oliver blows for half-time. Chelsea were the better team for much of the first half, only to be caught out by a terrific finish from Matheus Cunha.
45+3 min“It’s been a good half from United,” writes Joshua Keeling. “Chelsea looked the likelier scorers for most of it, but United did well to score late on. Fernandes will surely be the player of the season.
“A hill I will defend to the end, though, is that Amorim did a good job at United. He inherited a a shambles, and instilled structure and discipline, some of which has been lost since he left.
“PS how good is Senne Lammens?! It’s so nice to have a proper goalkeeper.”
I wonder who was the first position to die on a hill, or at least use that phrase.
45+1 minFofana was off the field when the goal was scored – he received treatment which meant he had to go off for 30 seconds.
45 minFive added minutes.
Man Utd have taken the lead against the run of play. Bruno Fernandes ignored a challenge from Garnacho on the right, got to the byline and angled a cutback towards the penalty spot. Sesko was wrestling with Caicedo, which allowed Cunha to run onto the ball and sidefoot emphatically past Sanchez.
That’s a cracking finish from Cunha, and an 18th assist of the Premier League season for the magnificent Bruno Fernandes.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man Utd (Cunha 43)
Now that’sa first touch from Matheus Cunha!
41 minFofana is down and in obvious discomfort. He was accidentally caught by his teammate Sanchez, who came flying out to punch a free-kick clear.
40 min“Forty-odd years ago, nobody knew what Hafnia was, but there they were on Everton’s shirts,” writes Gary Naylor. “I’m as clueless now about IFS.AI emblazoned on Chelsea’s kit and perimeter adverts. However, I’m prepared to hazard a guess that they are not a Danish meat processing company. I think, on LinkedIn, they call it progress.”
Wait until AI starts writing these live blogs. That’ll redefine progress.
39 minNeto’s cross from the right hits the unsighted Enzo six yards from goal. Delap jumped in front of him and couldn’t reach the ball, which meant Enzo had no time to adjust his body.
United break and Hato is booked for fouling Mbeumo.
38 min: Disallowed goal for Chelsea!Enzo’s awkward shot from the edge of the area is spilled in front of goal by the diving Lammens. Palmer squares the loose ball for Delap to walk it in, but they were both offside when Enzo had the original shot.
36 minPossession so far: Chelsea 65%-35% Man Utd.
35 minA beautifully judged tackle by Casemiro on Palmer sparks a United break. They move the ball smoothly through midfield but then Mbeumo and Cunha are on different wavelengths and the danger passes.
33 min: Just wide from Enzo!A Chelsea throw-in reaches Enzo, 12 yards out to the left of centre. He wriggles away from Mazraoui and Fernandes and curls a shot thisfar wide of the far post. He’d done the hardest part by escaping the two United defenders.
Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/Shutterstock
31 minChelsea are playing like a team who really need to win, United like a team who would be happy with a draw. It hasn’t been one-way traffic but Chelsea are attacking with much greater urgency and purpose.
30 minEnzo clips the free-kick into the wall.
29 minHeaven dangles a leg and fouls Palmer in the D. It was a lovely bit of skill from Palmer, who dragged the ball one way and the the other, but a bit of a naive tackle from Heaven.
26 minFor a player as good as Cunha, that first touch was almost bizarrely bad. He tried to retrieve the situation, fouled Hato and put his hand up in apology straight away.
24 minFernandes plays a majestic long pass to release Mbeumo on the right. He gallops into space and picks out the unmarked Cunha on the edge of the area – but Cunha’s first touch is dreadful and his second is an agricultural foul on Hato for which he is booked. That was United’s best opportunity so far and Cunha cagged it.
22 minDalot is caught painfully by Cucurella as the pair compete for a bouncing ball. The resulting free-kick from Fernandes is underhit and headed away on the edge of the area.
United haven’t really got going.
18 minChelsea look the more dangerous team. After another excellent pass from Enzo to start the move, Pedro Neto scoops a clever ball that the sliding Garnacho can’t quite keep in play on the far side. The away fans, who are not full of love for Garnacho, enjoyed watching the ball dribble behind for a goalkick.
15 min: Chelsea substitutionGarnacho comes on to face his old club. Estevao is able to limp off the field but it looks like he’s pulled a hamstring.
13 minAn inept pass from Shaw is collected by Delap, who plays an early pass through to Estevao. He stumbles slightly, is forced wide by Shaw and eventually shoots straight at Lammens.
In fact, Estevao may have injured himself when he stumbled. Looks like either a hamstring or knee problem, and Alejandro Garnacho is warming up.
11 minEstevao cuts inside from the right and whips a left-foot curler just wide of the far post. Excellent effort. In fact, replays suggest it shaved the outside of the post.
10 minVAR have decided the contact was fractionally outside the area, so Heaven gets away with it. It wasn’t a good tackle, not against a player as clever and fleet-footed as Palmer.
9 minPalmer runs on a fine angled pass from Enzo Fernandez, lifts the ball over Heaven and seemed to have be fouled right on the edge of the area. Nothing is given on the field but this could be a penalty. It was certainly a foul; the issue is whether it was inside the area.
7 minSesko has a long-range shot blocked by the outrushing Hato.
6 min“Cole Palmer just seems like a good guy, doesn’t he?” writes Matt Dony. “Brilliantly watchable footballer, and doesn’t appear to have been media-trained into robot-hood. It can’t be easy to be that young, that talented, that rich and famous, and still come across like a ‘nice bloke’ in the most ‘normal’ way. Similar to James Maddison, who we’re (hopefully) all glad to see returning to fitness. If I were an England fan, I’d be proud to have both of those players as potential choices.”
A very generous sentiment, although I suspect that ‘if’ is doing some seriously heavy lifting.
5 minDelap charges into the area from the right and is well tackled by the stretching Heaven. Nothing comes of the corner. That was a pretty good challenge from Heaven because it looked like Delap was away from him.
3 minDalot is flattened by Caicedo, which gives United a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Fernandes’s ball in is headed clear.
3 minAs expected, it’s Mazraoui and Heaven in the centre of defence for Man Utd.
2 min“After more than 40 days without internet here in Iran; I finally managed to get online,” writes Karen Asad. “You can’t imagine how difficult that is! anyway I’m looking forward to my first live blog in almost two months. I can testify that football is a great distraction from the raging war surrounding us. Here’s hoping a United win!”
1 minMan Utd kick off from left to right as we watch.
There was a joint protest by supporters of Chelsea and Strasbourgagainst their owners Blueco. before the game. Things could get moody if tonight’s game goes against Chelsea.
A reminder of the teams
It looks like Noussair Mazraoui will play centre-half for Man Utd rather than Luke Shaw.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Delap.
Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Chalobah, Tosin, Andrey Santos, Essugo, Lavia, Garnacho, Guiu.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1)Lammens; Dalot, Mazraoui, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Mount, T Fletcher, Thwaites, Ugarte, Amad, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Today’s Premier League results
The Joy of Six: Chelsea v Man Utd
This archive piece, written by the great Scott Murray, is well worth reading.
double quotation mark United were newly crowned champions of Europe – finally – and the world appeared to be their oyster. But of course they wouldn’t pick up another trophy until winning the Second Division championship in 1975. This was the first sign that a mild complacency had set in at Old Trafford. “Chelsea surely will never gain two points so easily again,” reported the Guardian, “and at the same time it is difficult to visualise United being so abysmally poor.”The visitors employed a power game – Ron Harris, Eddie McCreadie and David Webb crunching in with hard tackles, winning almost every ball, and shipping it forward quickly. Tommy Baldwin put Chelsea in front within 40 seconds. Bobby Tambling snaffled a ridiculous clearance by Tony Dunne to make it 2-0 on 13 minutes. Baldwin made it three seven minutes before half-time. United made a few “desultory raids” which were easily mopped up before Alan Birchenall added a fourth.
Will Unwin
Marcus Rashford could have a summer of transfer limbo in store despite Michael Carrick admitting the door is not completely closed on the forward playing for Manchester United again. Rashford is currently on loan at Barcelona but it is becoming increasingly unlikely the move will be made permanent, which will obligate a return to Old Trafford where he would receive a wage rise if the club qualify for the Champions League.
The 28-year-old has not played for United since December 2024, spending the past 16 months out on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona, who have the option to purchase Rashford for €30m (£26m). United sit comfortably in third, seven points above Saturday’s opponents, sixth-placed Chelsea, but will not want to see the gap close come full time at Stamford Bridge.
After two seasons without Champions League football, returning to Europe’s top table is vital for United but will result in players’ wages increasing, with Rashford’s salary reaching £325,000 per week on his deal, which runs until 2028. United would be keen to sell him but few could match his earnings.
Exclusive interview: Cole Palmer
Jacob Steinberg
There are two sides to Cole Palmer. There is the shy character who can fool you into thinking he has nothing much to say for himself. On the other hand there’s the artist with the ball at his feet. The player with the “Ice Cold” celebration copied by kids in playgrounds everywhere. The improviser who makes the price of a ticket worthwhile.
“I know what you’re saying,” Palmer replies as, on a sunny afternoon at Chelsea’s training ground, we talk about the contrast between his shy conversational style and his ability to make an impact on people when he steps on the pitch. “I don’t really say too much in general but when I’m on a pitch I try to. I feel like it’s two different personalities. Off the pitch it’s quiet. I find it hard to speak to new people. But when I’m on the pitch I feel it just comes freely.”
Chelsea’s No 10 takes a while to open up during our chat. Football is his chosen language. The boy from Wythenshawe admits that he is guarded with new people. Questions about whether the boy from Wythenshawe visualises moves and tried to copy his heroes when he was younger fall flat.
By the end, though, the 23-year-old has warmed up and is nattering away. He is laughing about last summer’s chaotic win against Benfica at the Club World Cup (the game lasted four hours after a delay due to stormy weather in North Carolina) and delivering an update on his views on southern people. He has gone into detail about his injury woes and it feels significant that he has agreed to meet. It is easy to talk during a winning run. It shows character to do it when the world is on your back.
Team news
Enzo Fernandezreturns to the Chelsea side after being left out of their last two games. Liam Delapalso comes into the side, with Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro dropping out. Joao Pedro isn’t in the squad.
It looks like either Luke Shaw or Noussair Mazraoui will start in the centre of defence for Man Utd. There are four changes from the team that started against Leeds on Monday. Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven, Kobbie Mainoo and Bryan Mbeumo come in for Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Amad Diallo.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Delap.
Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Chalobah, Tosin, Andrey Santos, Essugo, Lavia, Garnacho, Guiu.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1)Lammens; Mazraoui, Heaven, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Mount, T Fletcher, Thwaites, Ugarte, Amad, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Preamble
Pop quiz, hotshot: name the last time fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United in which both managers were English? The answer is 28 September 1986, when Kerry Dixon scored the only goal for John Hollins’ Chelsea and Ron Atkinson’s United missed two penalties. United stayed 21st in the league; Chelsea’s win lifted them to the dizzy heights of 17th.
Liam Rosenior and Michael Carrick have loftier ambitions, tonight and for the next month. Both are fighting to quality for next season’s Champions League – not least because, if they fail, there may not be a next season. We might argue that the pressure on Rosenior is premature and unfair, but it exists and it’ll increase if Chelsea fail to win tonight.
Both teams are in the middle of dodgy spells. Chelsea have taken five points from their last seven league games, United four from the last four. But United still have a seven-point Champions League cushion, so a draw would be an excellent result for them – particularly as they are without their four first-choice centre-halves.
A strength of Carrick’s management has been the use of appropriately shaped pegs and holes. Tonight, he may have to get creative.
Kick off8pm.
