Amorim handed lifeline thanks to Chelsea chaos

The Theatre of Dreams maybe needed a miracle, and it got one courtesy of a nightmare for Chelsea stopper Robert Sanchez as Manchester United eased the pressure on boss Ruben Amorim.

- CHRIS WILSON

Manchester United

Fernandes (14), Casemiro (37)

Chelsea

Chalobah (80) 1

A storm was brewing over Old Trafford as the world champions came to town, the deluge of rain falling on a grey day in Manchester summing up the situation that the Portuguese found himself in this week.

However, in the end the bizarre weather only foretold an equally ridiculous match, with the game eventually defined by a whirlwind opening 14 minutes that saw Sanchez sent off before United captain Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring.

Amorim’s side started quickly but they were given a gift five minutes in as Benjamin Sesko rose highest to win a header that played Bryan Mbeumo clean through, with the winger taking it past the onrushing Sanchez before being scythed down.

There were few complaints from the visiting side as Enzo Maresca brought on defensive reinforcements, but they weren’t able to hold on for long as that rain was accompanied by a deluge of United attacks, the visitors barely able to get out of their own half before Fernandes tapped in from close range to open the scoring on 14 minutes. Old Trafford was roaring and there was a sense that the afternoon could turn into a rout, with Chelsea’s misery compounded as they were forced to bring off Cole Palmer just after the 20-minute mark after their talisman suffered a recurrence of the groin injury that had kept him out of action until a week ago.