The game was just five minutes old when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was given the earliest red card in Premier League history, after a miscalculated tackle on Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo, who was through on goal. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca later reflected on the incident, stating that he would have preferred to concede a goal early rather than be a man down for the rest of the game.
However, the balance of the match shifted again late in the first half when Casemiro was sent off for a second bookable offense, leaving both teams with 10 players. This gave Chelsea a chance to get back into the game, and they showed significant improvement in the second half.
The visitors halved the deficit with 10 minutes to go, when Trevoh Chalobah scored with a powerful header from a Reece James assist. Despite their late surge, Chelsea were unable to find a second goal to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The statistical breakdown of the game shows that Manchester United scored two goals with an expected goals (xG) of 1.74, while Chelsea overperformed, scoring with just one shot on target and an xG of 0.39.
The win puts Manchester United in ninth place and is the first time they have won consecutive home league games under the same manager since December 2023. Meanwhile, Chelsea's defeat extends their winless run at Old Trafford to 13 Premier League away games, a longer streak than against any other side in the competition.
