Chelsea implode at Man Utd as Amorim gifted crucial win by inept Maresca

Facing a Chelsea side doing everything in their power to keep Ruben Amorim in a job, even Manchester United couldn’t mess that one up, despite Casemiro’s best attempts.

First things first, that was an astonishing game of football. The first half between Manchester United and Chelsea was one of the most manic, ridiculous halves of football you will see all season. The second 45 didn’t have quite as much drama, but it still delivered some ridiculous Barclays.

Robert Sanchez was sent off for taking out Bryan Mbeumo on the edge of the box with only five minutes on the clock, prompting Enzo Maresca to make an early double change, hooking Estevao and Pedro Neto for Tosin Adarabioyo and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen in a bizarre ploy that removed all of the pace from his attack and the majority of their threat on the break.

Nine minutes after Sanchez’s red, United took the lead through Bruno Fernandes. VAR then threatened to disallow it for offside. Chelsea continued to be absolutely shambolic thanks to some terrible in-game management from Maresca, while Cole Palmer was brought off with what was hopefully an injury. With 70 minutes remaining, Amorim’s men were up against 10 men, all over the place, without their best player and without the ability to counter-attack effectively. Even they couldn’t f**k this, right?

READ MORE: 16 Conclusions on Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea: Amorim passes the sack baton to Maresca

Well, it got better when Casemiro scored in the 37th minute, until he went from unlikely hero to likely villain. With both teams down to 10 and Alejandro Garnacho on the bench, there was the potential for the most hilarious outcome ever.

In the torrential rain that the Old Trafford roof definitely couldn’t handle, there were fouls left, right and centre and the ball was slowing down in puddles while Amorim wished he had his wellies for the paddling pool in his technical area.

As we say, it was a mad one.

Tactics were thrown out of the window with both teams — especially Chelsea — incredibly open, as Maresca continued to make things up as he went along. In a game Amorim desperately needed to win with United 17th in the Premier League at kick-off, he managed it much better than the Blues boss and has bought himself some time with a crucial win against a team doing their best United-under-Amorim impression.

From the three early changes made by Maresca, it was surprising that Wesley Fofana was not one of the players he hooked, even with a natural defender in Tosin replacing a winger. But there was always a chance that United would go full United and throw away the most glorious opportunity to beat a ‘Big Six’ rival. At least they ended up not having to worry about Garnacho influencing a comeback after Maresca used his last substitution with 26 minutes left. His brother’s Instagram story will be interesting.

One of those to come on was Tyrique George, who finally provided some pace out wide for the visitors. We’re very surprised it wasn’t Garnacho. And Fofana was eventually brought off as well. Were they the worst five substitutions made by a manager in a single Premier League game?

Despite some questionable management, Chelsea were able to grow into the game by knocking it around, but their ability to unlock the United defence was restricted as Palmer watched from the bench. One moment of quality set up a big last 10 when Reece James’ pinpoint cross was met by Trevoh Chalobah’s forehead for Chelsea’s first effort on target — and a goal that Altay Bayindir could do nothing to stop.

Chelsea pushed for an equaliser that they didn’t deserve and which would have made Casemiro public enemy number one in Manchester, having thrown away United’s control with a stupid second yellow card, but United held on and successfully navigated the closing minutes.

Thankfully for Amorim, his players held on for a first home win against a ‘Big Six’ rival under his watch. Chelsea, on the other hand, end an abysmal week with one of their most dysfunctional and calamitous performances under Maresca. They threw it away at Brentford last weekend, were thumped by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and now they’ve lost to the most beatable United team since, well, last season, giving them little choice but to take advantage and earn a fat, juicy win.

United will take what they’re given and try to beat what’s in front of them. This victory gives Amorim more time to get his players used to a formation that hasn’t been working and shows he can beat teams deemed direct rivals, even if 11 places separated them last season.

He’s clearly still working things out, continuing his 100% record of changing his back three every single game this season as Matthijs de Ligt was again the only centre-back to start and finish a Premier League match.

With United 2-0 up and looking for more, one thing Amorim probably felt he’d worked out was his best central-midfield pairing, with Fernandes and Casemiro on the scoresheet. But the latter did his best to make an already breathtaking game even more dramatic. We thank him, but Amorim definitely will not.

At the end of the day, it’s three points for Amorim and Manchester United. Three fat, succulent points they desperately needed. A turning point? Nah, they’ve run out of turning points. But there’s hope. And that’s all you can ask for.

READ MORE: Potter, Amorim and Pereira locked in impossibly close Premier League sack race