London
Thursday, 4 April, 2024
Cole Palmer (21) struck twice in the 10th and 11th minute of stoppage time to secure an astonishing 4-3 victory against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, after the Red Devils surrendered a 3-2 lead in the most dramatic of late collapses.
Both sides have fallen dramatically from grace, with previous battles for domestic and European supremacy feeling like a lifetime ago.
After dropping points in their last encounters against Burnley and Brentford respectively, Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag were looking for a fast response from their sides here.
It was Pochettino who got his wish with a mere four minutes on the clock, as Malo Gusto’s deflected cross made its way to Conor Gallagher, who rifled home a close-range finish through Casemiro’s legs and past Andre Onana.
Chelsea doubled their lead after Antony was penalised for bringing down Marc Cucurella in the box, and Palmer was coolness personified in dispatching the subsequent spot-kick.
It was his 14th Premier League goal of the season, leaving the club he supported as a boy in big trouble.However, just when the hosts appeared to be coasting, Moises Caicedo played a blind pass into the path of Alejandro Garnacho, who ruthlessly punished the Ecuadorian with a clinical finish past Dorde Petrovic and halved the deficit.
United were level five minutes later at the end of a wonderfully worked move, with Bruno Fernandes providing a bullet far-post header from Diogo Dalot’s perfectly weighted cross.
Gallagher was inches away from restoring the hosts’ lead when his shot cannoned off the post just seconds before half-time.
Ten Hag’s side started the second half on top, and this wide-open match saw Harry Maguire make an eye-catching run down the left before his angled strike rose just over the bar.
The Red Devils were four-versus-two in attacking the Chelsea backline, but Fernandes could not take advantage and fired his rash effort over the bar.However, it was a case of redemption for Antony, who provided the most outrageous assist with the outside of his left foot for Garnacho to nod the ball past Petrovic.
It was the Brazilian’s first Premier League assist of the season and it came in some style.This looked to have completed the most remarkable of comebacks for United, but Dalot was punished at the death for a challenge on Noni Madueke and Palmer was on hand to score his second spot-kick and give the hosts a share of the spoils.
But the Blues were not done there, as Palmer seemingly had the freedom of West London after latching onto Enzo’s shot and saw his deflected strike beat Onana in one of the all-time great Premier League matches.
