On the morning of April 5, MU led Chelsea 3-2 until the 90+9 minute but still lost 3-4 in round 31 of the Premier League.
Minute 90+7, Diogo Dalot slipped and fell while following Noni Madueke. The Portuguese defender’s arm clung to number 11 on Chelsea’s side. Referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR team agreed that this was a penalty for Chelsea.
From 11 meters away, Cole Palmer calmly took the penalty kick, equalizing 3-3 for Chelsea, when the clock turned to minute 90+10.
At minute 111, the Stamford Bridge stands burst with emotion. It’s Palmer again with a strong shot in the penalty area. The ball hit Scott McTominay, changed direction and went into the net before the helplessness of his teammates.
MU collapsed in injury time in two consecutive matches, thereby almost losing hope of winning a position in the top 5 Premier League. At this time, Erik ten Hag and his team are still 9 points behind Tottenham, with only 8 rounds left in the season.
The match at Stamford Bridge exposed the weaknesses of both MU and Chelsea. The “Red Devils” midfield continues to have serious problems with the ability to choose positions and control the ball. Meanwhile, host Chelsea frustrated fans with personal errors and the defense’s ability to fight the ball.
Right in the 4th minute, Andre Onana’s net shook. None of MU’s midfielders marked Conor Gallagher, allowing the English midfielder to comfortably score in the penalty area, putting Chelsea ahead.
In the 19th minute, Marc Cucurella broke through like an empty space from the middle of the field to the goal, only to receive a penalty when Antony pushed him down in the penalty area. From 11 meters away, Cole Palmer made no mistake to double the gap for Chelsea.
Despite having a fairly safe advantage, mistakes on the defensive front cost Chelsea dearly. In just 5 minutes, from 34 to 39, MU scored 2 goals to bring the match back to the starting line.
MU’s goal to shorten the score was directly scored by Moises Caicedo. The midfielder worth more than 100 million pounds carelessly passed back, creating an opportunity for Alejandro Garnacho to escape and finish past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
5 minutes later, MU took advantage of the host’s poor ball defense to score the equalizer. Diogo Dalot crossed accurately for Bruno Fernandes to score.
After being equalized, Chelsea pressed forward and attacked strongly. The home fans stood restless before the finishing situations of Gallager, Enzo, and Nicolas Jackson.
Onana’s talent has helped MU withstand pressure. In the situation where the Cameroonian goalkeeper was defeated, luck also smiled on the away team, when the ball hit the post after Gallagher’s shot in the 45+4 minute.
While the attackers were diligently looking for a goal, Chelsea’s defense once again made mistakes. In the 67th minute, Benoit Badiashile crossed the midfield line and made a clumsy tackle. Antony immediately escaped and performed a trivela (waving the outside of his cheek) to assist Garnacho to complete the double.
During the remaining time, Chelsea only knew how to stuff the ball into the opponent’s restricted area. MU suffered heavy losses when two midfielders Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans both had to leave the field. Young star Willy Kambwala and Harry Maguire stood firm until injury time.
MU fans were preparing to celebrate the victory when an unbelievable scenario happened. The match had 8 minutes of overtime, but Chelsea scored 2 goals in a row in the 90+10 and 90+11 minutes to end a 5-match winless streak against rival Manchester. MU can only blame themselves for playing too unfocused in the final seconds of the match.
