MANCHESTER, UK — So much in the build-up to kickoff between Manchester United and Chelsea’s Premier League showdown on Saturday hinted towards chaos, silliness, and things getting a bit unhinged.
Even before kickoff, Alejandro Garnacho was persona non grata in his return to Old Trafford, suggesting shenanigans were afoot. The former United winger was booed at the start, end and during his part in the visitors’ warm-up.
Little did fans know he was soon to be far from the most interesting thing about a tombola of activity on the Chelsea bench.
Harry Maguire was back in the United team and received a giant momento before the match to celebrate him bringing up 250 appearances for United, no mean feat in their banter era. It was such a large picture frame that Laurel and Hardy might have tried to cross a road with it, with hilarious consequences.
Oh, and it was raining. A lot. So, so much rain battered the Old Trafford pitch throughout the match, from start to finish, even by Manchester’s standards.
Somewhat surprisingly, the infamous Old Trafford roof remained intact — it felt like the only thing that did on the day.
MORE: Highlights and recap of Man United 2-1 Chelsea as it happened
Why was Robert Sanchez sent off for Chelsea at Man United?
The match began in driving rain at 5:30 p.m. local time, the sort of conditions that encourage fast, frantic football. Chelsea, crowned world champions earlier this year after some lengthy weather delays in the United States, appeared entirely ill-equipped as Ruben Amorim’s embattled team tore into them.
You’d think a fourth-minute red card might be the first incident of note, but Robert Sanchez had already been targeted by United and rushed into two poor clearances to panic the team in front of him.
There was also time for the Chelsea goalkeeper to make a handy save from Bryan Mbeumo before completely wiping out the same player to receive his marching orders. It meant Sanchez became the first goalkeeper to be sent off twice since the Premier League adopted the “double jeopardy” guidance for red cards in 2016.
Robert Sanchez has taken to IG to apologise to Chelsea fans for his red card. pic.twitter.com/tcM4D3TRSR
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 20, 2025
This means that if a player fouls an opponent while trying to play the ball and denies a clear goalscoring opportunity inside the penalty area, they will not be sent off as the penalty award is deemed a sufficient punishment.
Basically, this has served to protect goalkeepers from red card risk. Unless you’re a guy like Sanchez, who likes to run out of his area and wipe out opponents. For a club of Chelsea’s means, who have a plethora of goalkeepers on their books, the former Brighton man being their No. 1 remains a head-scratcher.
Sanchez later issued an apology on his Instagram, saying, “On me today guys, big sorry for that, team put a massive effort on the second half but couldn’t get there.”
Somewhat fittingly, after the wacky 90 minutes in Manchester, Sanchez issued his statement in the Comic Sans font.
Chelsea substitutions: What was Enzo Maresca doing?
So, down to 10 men away from home. The best thing to do would be not to panic, or at least give the impression that you’re not panicking.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, the schemes spewing forth from their dugout conveyed anything but calm. Estevao sacrificed so that back-up goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen could come on? Sure, par for the course. But fellow attacker Pedro Neto making way for centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo? Chelsea had started the game with 11 men and were down to 10, and had started with two wingers and were down to zero.
It gets better, or worse, depending on your point of view. Head coach Enzo Maresca reverted to a back five, causing Adarabioyo to hold his arms out in apparent bafflement when running on, which wasn’t a great sign. The Sporting News spoke to one of Chelsea’s regular correspondents at halftime and he claimed, so far as he remembered, that it was the first time Maresca had ever reverted to a back five.
Just a cool thing to roll out when you’re down to 10 men within four minutes. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea played chaotically and United capitalised. If there’s one thing Amorim’s team aren’t at this point, it’s unfamiliar with their formation.
“The reason why we changed Pedro and Estevao is they attack with five players, always,” Maresca said afterwards. “We can defend with four when it’s 11 against 11. But 11 against 10, I think we need to defend all the width, so we decided to go with a back five.
Bruno Fernandes, granted more license to crash the box given Chelsea’s reduced numbers, pounced on Patrick Dorgu’s cross to make it 1-0. Then Maresca substituted Cole Palmer. Before it became clear the England star had aggravated a groin injury he brought into the game, no one was ruling out another free-jazz move from the Chelsea boss, who had now already burned two of his three substitution windows.
As a final flourish during the second half, Maresca spoke at length to Garnacho, seemingly ready to unleash the Argentina youngster before the baying Old Trafford faithful. The former United star began speaking at length to the Chelsea assistants, clearly preparing himself tactically for an imminent appearance.
Then, Maresca sent on Tyrique George and Malo Gusto instead, leaving Garnacho as an unused substitute and Chelsea with no more substitutions to make in the final half-hour. Afterwards, the Italian tactician explained Wesley Fofana’s request to come off forced the change of plan. “Garna was ready,” he added. “The idea was to give Garnacho minutes.”
Did Man United boss Ruben Amorim save his job?
Honestly, after such a bizarre game, it’s quite difficult to say where Amorim’s long-term prospects lie. Once again, there were cases to be made for the prosecution and the defence.
As stated, Chelsea’s terrible start did not happen in isolation. United were tenaciously fantastic during the early exchanges. They caused Sanchez’s downfall and capitalised.
On the other hand, it’s not the first time this season that United have started a game well. For the first 20 minutes against Fulham they sparkled. Last weekend in the Manchester derby, they were the more settled side before Phil Foden opened the scoring.
Of course, they didn’t win either of those games and tried their best not to win this one. After going 1-0 up, United struggled for fluency and again looked like a team ill-equipped to adjust to changing circumstances, even when those circumstances were in their favour.
Casemiro made it 2-0 after a rank defensive hack from Reece James and a poor moment from Chelsea’s replacement goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, but the Brazil midfielder then collected the second of two bozo yellow cards. Unforgivable stuff from a senior pro who should be guiding a team through choppy waters, not hurling himself overboard.
One youngster who needs guidance is new striker Benjamin Sesko. Given a chance to open his United account against a bedraggled, depleted opponent, the former RB Leipzig star touched the ball eight times. He was on the scene when Fernandes and Casemiro scored, but photobombing goals is a long way from scoring them. When Casemiro got himself sent off, he was the obvious man to make way.
Trevoh Chaobah highlighted United’s set-piece frailties by powering home a header to set up a nervy finish, forcing United to stagger over the line in a game they briefly threatened to turn into a procession.
“We deserved it, but we complicated our lives every time,” Amorim said afterwards. “I think we started the game really well in terms of aggression and to push the opponent and to show that we were there. Even to bring our fans with us.
“The sending off of the goalkeeper helped us a lot, but we were in control. We scored two goals and, with everything going well, we complicated things with the sending off.”
Amorim taking off the talismanic Fernandes after his captain drove forward and nearly screamed a game-sealing goal past Jorgensen was another odd move on an afternoon packed with them. But, winding all the way back to Sanchez’s rush of blood, the reaction of the Stretford End was telling. With Chelsea suddenly there for the taking, they sang their Amorim song loudly. He still has them. For now.
“Today we won, it’s nice to win, but let’s forget that and return to that urgency,” the United boss added. “We need to win the next game. That is the most important thing. In a big club, you cannot win a game and relax a little bit.”
