Manchester United vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result and final score as United seal Champions League place
Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea: Erik ten Hag’s side booked their place in the Champions League with a commanding second-half display as the Blues fell apart at Old Trafford
Manchester United secured qualification for next season’s Champions League as Erik ten Hag’s men roared to a comprehensive 4-1 victory against wasteful Chelsea.
The Dutchman has led the Red Devils to Carabao Cup glory and next month’s FA Cup final during a promising first season that looked certain to end in a top-four finish until a recent wobble.
But Ten Hag has righted the ship and United secured a return to European football’s top table with a game to spare as Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored against toothless Chelsea.
This was a club record 16th defeat in a 38-match Premier League season for Frank Lampard’s Blues, who saw a bad early Mykhailo Mudryk miss punished by a sixth minute Casemiro header.
Further Chelsea chances went begging across the evening, including the miss by Conor Gallagher in first half stoppage time that was followed by Martial scoring.
Bruno Fernandes’ penalty and substitute Marcus Rashford’s goal – his 30th of the season in all competitions – wrapped up a victory that was only dampened by Antony’s exit on a stretcher and a late Joao Felix consolation.
We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:
FULL TIME! Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea
Manchester United owe Champions League return to Casemiro, their serial winner
Last May, Casemiro won the Champions League. This May, he has qualified for it. It sounds the lesser achievement. A player who played in four Champions League final victories is now mathematically assured of a top-four finish. As Manchester United returned to the top table of European football, it owed much to Casemiro.
Over the season, he has been a catalytic force. On the night when they condemned Chelsea to defeat and Liverpool to the Europa League, he was again. United had been short of goals of late but Casemiro started a rout of the 2021 Champions League winners.
Erik ten Hag bought a defensive midfielder, but Casemiro has contributed much in attack. He scored the opening goal and helped set up the second with a sand wedge of a pass.
Anthony Martial scored it, Bruno Fernandes added a third from the penalty spot before the substitute Marcus Rashford became the first player to score 30 goals in a season for United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. But the name that echoed most around Old Trafford, unsurprisingly, was Casemiro’s.
By Richard Jolly at Old Trafford
Manchester United owe Champions League return to Casemiro, their serial winner
Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea: Casemiro has been the catalyst behind United’s top-four finish and opened the scoring at Old Trafford with his latest important goal
FULL TIME! Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea
Erik ten Hag on United’s return to the Champions League: “It’s important. This club belongs in the Champions League. But it is not easy in the Premier League, it’s tough. A lot compete for those positions - seven or eight teams. It’s a massive performance when you get this done.
“We are back in the Champions League. That is an important step. If you want to be successful you have to be in that competition.”
Reaction from Liverpool as Manchester United’s top-four place is secured...
Mohamed Salah says he is “totally devastated” by Liverpool missing out on the Champions League.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for this. We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed. We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum. I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.”
FULL TIME! Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea
A thumping win for Manchester United - who return to the Champions League in style!
As for Chelsea - have they hit a new low tonight? The Blues were a shambles in the second half.
Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea
SAVE! Kepa denies McTominay this time! It could have been even worse for Chelsea and Frank Lampard.
GOAL! Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea (JOAO FELIX 89’)
One back for the Blues - but what a consolation goal this is by the way.
Felix carries the ball from inside the Chelsea half and then produces a superb finish to beat De Gea.
Straight away at the other end, Garnacho is denied by Kepa.
Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea
84 mins: Fernandes is taken off to be wrapped in cotton wool after the FA Cup final.
De Gea takes the armband for the final few minutes.
Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea
81 mins: Chelsea are heading for their worst Premier League defeat of the season.
The Blues conceded four goals against Brighton in a 4-1 thrashing under Graham Potter, this is set to top that.
There was more handbags soon after United’s fourth as De Gea crashed into Pulisic and there is some pushing and shoving.
Meanwhile, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech and David Fofana are all on.
GOAL! Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea (RASHFORD 78’)
IT’S TURNING INTO A ROUT!
Chelsea are all over the place from a goal-kick and Fofana gives the ball away under no pressure at all.
Rashford picks it up and skips past Kepa to make it four.
“Shambles,” fumes Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
Manchester United 3-0 Chelsea
74 mins: Now what’s happened here? There are some handbags after the goal, with Enzo Fernandez getting himself involved in an argument with Malacia.
Both players are booked.
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