Palmer keeps cool amid chaos to stun United at the death
IN this strangest of seasons for Manchester United, Erik ten Hag’s side have swung between shambolic and sensational, and everything else in between. Rarely, though, have they managed it all on the same night.
Here at Stamford Bridge, we were treated to the full repertoire. Five days after dropping valuable points in the race for Champions League qualification down the road at Brentford, United were at it again.
Two down to Chelsea and seemingly out, they clawed their way back into the game and then snatched victory through Alejandro Garnacho’s second goal. Or so it seemed.
First a clumsy foul by Diogo Dalot saw Chelsea equalise from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time. Then, unbelievably, the Blues went one better — that man Palmer scoring again to seal a famous victory in the 101st minute, via a deflection off Scott McTominay.
At times here there was proof that United players are still ready to fight for Ten Hag. But they have a funny way of showing it, and ultimately came up woefully short in the most dramatic of circumstances.
It’s two years ago this month since United were in the process of choosing Ten Hag as their new manager over Mauricio Pochettino, his adversary here, and it’s fair to say the jury is still out.
But as long as Champions League qualification is in his grasp, he is in with a chance of persuading Sir Jim Ratcliffe to keep him on. The club’s new coowner was here last night.
Ten Hag made the bold call to leave Marcus Rashford on the bench and hand Antony his first Premier League start of the year. Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire proved their fitness in time to start in central defence after Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof became United’s latest casualties.
Yet any sense of security dissipated within 19 minutes as Chelsea scored twice to seize control of the game. We were less than four minutes in when Kobbie Mainoo was guilty of a rare error, misplacing a pass to Garnacho on the United left. Enzo Fernandez picked up the loose ball and curled it into the path of Malo Gusto, whose low cross took a deflection off Varane.
Not for the first time this season, United were punished for leaving a man unmarked on the edge of the box as Conor Gallagher swept a first-time shot under the body of Andre Onana, who might have done better.
It soon got even worse for Ten Hag. Marc Cucurella played the ball wide to Mykhailo Mudryk and continued his run into the box to collect a return pass from the Ukrainian.
Antony had tracked Cucurella’s run but allowed the Spaniard to get the wrong side and brought him down with a clumsy challenge.
Referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot and Cole Palmer maintained his 100 per cent penalty record this season.
At that stage, an unchanged Chelsea had given Pochettino the response he wanted after dropping points against Burnley here on Saturday, while United simply couldn’t get going.
Garnacho’s volley was so wide it went out for a throw-in and Diogo Dalot sent a pass straight into the stands. The Portugal defender did manage to block Palmer’s goalbound shot, though, and Axel Disasi planted a free header wide at the far post.
But somehow, out of nowhere, United were level before half-time as it was Chelsea’s turn to implode. Their first goal was almost comical, starting with Bruno Fernandes’ wayward pass that looked to be going out of play in the 34th minute.
Credit to Antony for keeping it in, but even he thought Moises Caicedo had the situation under control. However, Caicedo played a horrible pass straight into the path of Garnacho and he faced away from Benoit Badiashile to prod home.
No sooner had Fernandez forced a smart save from Onana four minutes later than United broke and Dalot swung a cross to the back post where Fernandes was waiting unmarked to guide a header back across Djordje Petrovic into the far corner.
There was still time at the end of a see- saw first half for Gallagher to rattle the post with another effort.
The second half was just as endto-end as the first, if not more so. Nicolas Jackson forced a fine reflex save from Onana who then turned over Palmer’s effort.
By the time Garnacho scored in the 67th minute, Jonny Evans — a half-time substitute for Varane — had departed the action himself and Rashford was preparing to come on.
This time Badiashile was the guilty man, gifting possession to Antony close to halfway. The Brazilian capped a fine performance by accelerating away and guiding the ball with the outside of his right foot to Garnacho on the edge of the box. Petrovic came out but it was the wrong move, giving Garnacho the simple task of nodding the ball past him.
When Dalot brought down Noni Madueke in the box in stoppage time, Chelsea were offered a reprieve. And, no surprise, Palmer made no mistake. It set the stage for a remarkable winner.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Petrovic 5; Gusto 6 (Gilchrist 75min, 6), Disasi 5 (Chalobah 75, 6), Badiashile 4.5, Cucurella 6; Caicedo 3 (Chukwuemeka 71, 6), Fernandez 4.5; Palmer 6.5, Gallagher 7 (Madueke 88), Mudryk 6 (Sterling 71, 6); Jackson 5.5. Scorers: Gallagher 4, Palmer 19 (pen). Booked: Gusto, Fernandez.
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 5. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana 6; Dalot 6.5, Varane 6 (Evans 46, 6; Kambwala 66, 6), Maguire 6.5, Wan-Bissaka 6.5; Casemiro 6 (McTominay 75, 6), Mainoo 7; Antony 7.5, Fernandes 6.5, GARNACHO 8 (Mount 85); Hojlund 6 (Rashford 66, 6.5). Scorers: Garnacho 34, 67, Fernandes 39. Booked: None. Manager: Erik ten Hag 7. Referee: Jarred Gillett 6.
Attendance: Not provided.