In a crucial league encounter against Chelsea, Manchester United faced a daunting task as defeat would severely dent their aspirations of securing a spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season.
The match at Stamford Bridge got off to a disastrous start for United, as Conor Gallagher found the back of the net early on, beating Andre Onana to give Chelsea an early lead.
Shortly after, Cole Palmer doubled Chelsea’s advantage with a calmly taken penalty following Antony’s foul on Marc Cucurella.
As Gallagher’s goal went in, a telling statistic emerged, encapsulating United’s lackluster campaign.
It was revealed that United had now conceded 500 attempts in the Premier League this season, marking the first time in the decade that they had conceded such a high number in a single league campaign.
However, United found a glimmer of hope later in the first half when Moises Caicedo’s errant pass across the Chelsea defense was intercepted by Alejandro Garnacho, who capitalized on the opportunity to halve the deficit by slotting the ball past Dorde Petrovic.
In a remarkable turn of events, United managed to pull level just five minutes later. Bruno Fernandes rose highest to head home Diogo Dalot’s cross at the back post, stunning the home crowd and restoring parity.
Chelsea had a chance to regain the lead just before halftime, but Gallagher’s powerful shot from a tight angle struck the post, denying Chelsea the opportunity.
As the match progressed, United seemed poised for a remarkable comeback victory when Garnacho headed home Antony’s excellent cross.
Chelsea mounted a stunning late surge, with Palmer scoring twice in injury time to seal a remarkable 4-3 win for Chelsea.
With this defeat, United’s tally of league losses for the season reached 12, leaving them just one short of setting a club record for defeats in a single Premier League campaign.
