Man United vs Chelsea score, result, highlights from Premier League as Red Devils seal top-four spot in style

Joe Wright

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Man United vs Chelsea score, result, highlights from Premier League as Red Devils seal top-four spot in style image

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER — Manchester United qualified for next season's Champions League courtesy of a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea.

Needing just a point to be certain of a top-four finish in this season's Premier League — and a place in the group stages of Europe's top competition in 2023/24 — United never looked back after Casemiro headed in the opener after only six minutes at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have endured a dispiriting season but they played well in the first half, dominating possession and creating one or two openings, the best of which was spurned by Conor Gallagher.

Yet Frank Lampard's young side were 2-0 down just before halftime, Anthony Martial tapping in Jadon Sancho's pass, and from there the result looked certain.

Bruno Fernandes, who had earlier hit the crossbar, made it 3-0 from the penalty spot before Marcus Rashford scored his 30th goal of the season from close range. Joao Felix netted a fine consolation for the Blues, who are 12th in the table and desperate to see the back of this season.

MORE: How to watch Man United vs Chelsea around the world

Man United vs Chelsea final score

  Final Goal scorers
Man U 4 Casemiro, Martial, Fernandes (p), Rashford
Chelsea 1 Felix

Lineups:

Man United (4-2-3-1, right to left): De Gea (GK) — Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw (Malacia) — Casemiro, Eriksen (Fred) — Antony (Rashford), Fernandes (McTominay), Sancho — Martial (Garnacho)

Chelsea (4-3-3, right to left): Kepa (GK) — Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Fofana, Hall — Gallagher (D. Fofana), Fernandez, Chukwuemeka (Loftus-Cheek) — Madueke (Ziyech), Havertz (Felix), Mudryk (Pulisic)

MORE: Watch every Premier League match live with Fubo in Canada

Man United turn on the style in tribute to Ten Hag's work

United have made a habit for much of this season, certainly in recent months, of winning games by a less comfortable margin than they should. While the defence is often sound — De Gea has already won the Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets, with 17 and counting — Ten Hag has often been frustrated by his side's inability to kill matches.

Today, there was no such concern.

United ended the game with 5.14 expected goals, which is the highest such figure of any side in a single Premier League game this season (according to Opta data). They should really have scored at least two more than they managed, and several promising attacks broke down even before a shot was attempted, but this was still a promising step forward in Ten Hag's work.

It also meant there would be no hanging on to the point they needed to secure that top-four finish. After a long and difficult race, they powered over the finish line.

Antony injury sours Man United celebrations

The only major downside to United's evening was the loss of Antony to injury in the first half. Trevoh Chalobah's challenge was fair — indeed, it was not reckless at all — but it clearly did damage to United's Brazilian. After trying to put weight on his right ankle, Antony sank back to the turf, his head in his hands, and was taken off on a stretcher.

It meant Rashford got an earlier return from illness and injury than perhaps was planned, and the England star marked it with a well-taken goal — his this season 30th in all competitions, the most of any United player since Robin van Persie a decade ago — but losing Antony so close to the FA Cup final would be a real disappointment for Ten Hag.

Man United understand Chelsea troubles only too well

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said on Sky Sports that there is "a big, big job to be done" after the Blues' worst season in the Premier League era.

With a game left, they are just 12 points above the relegation places and a massive 27 adrift of the top four. They cannot finish in the top 10 and can only get a maximum of 46 points, both of which represent record low points for the club in this competition.

They actually enjoyed one of their better first-half performances here and should have equalised through Gallagher shortly before Martial doubled United's lead, but their efforts after the break bordered on wretched at times.

The boisterous United fans watching on may have been reminded of this time a year ago, when the Red Devils were going through the motions under an interim manager at the end of a season in which they set records for all the wrong reasons.

There is quality in this Chelsea squad — so there should be, given it cost upwards of $700 million — but Mauricio Pochettino, if he is indeed to be their new manager, has got a huge task to mould it into a coherent football team.

He need only look at Ten Hag's work to see how that can be done.

Man United vs Chelsea live updates, highlights from Premier League

Full-time: Man United 4-1 Chelsea

Manchester United will be playing Champions League football next season! A blistering attacking display has put Chelsea to the sword and guaranteed they will finish at least fourth in the table, although they are now third heading into the final day. Lampard gets a warm reception from the visiting fans, who just want to see the back of this season now.

89th min: GOAL! Chelsea have at least something to cheer about! Hakim Ziyech volleys a fine pass to Joao Felix, who suddenly has space to run at the United defence. Nobody closes him down, so he drills a shot past De Gea and into the bottom-left corner. The man to the left of the Sporting News' media seat has his head in his hands — that goal ruins a promising bet.

78th min: GOAL! It's four for United! Fofana gives up possession on the edge of the Chelsea box, Fernandes knocks it sideways to Rashford, who dummies superbly to leave the defender bamboozled. Kepa gets a touch on his first effort, but Rashford only has to tap the rebound home.

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75th min: There was a scuffle after the penalty, in which Fernandez seemed to take exception to something Fernandes said or did. After a bit of a shoving match involving a group of players, Fernandez and Malacia are booked.

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73rd min: GOAL! No mistake from Fernandes — he waits for Kepa to start moving to his right before rolling the ball into the net to the keeper's left.

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72nd min: PENALTY! Fernandes nutmegs Fofana, who hangs out a boot and clips United man's foot. The referee has a think about it before awarding the spot-kick. Fernandes will take it...

70th min: Two changes for United as Garnacho and Fred come on for Martial and Eriksen. Chelsea fan have started a chorus of "You're nothing special, we lose every week".

67th min: United fans roar their approval as Casemiro, having matched Fernandez stride for stride as he broke forward, makes an inch-perfect sliding tackle. The Brazilian is then annoyed that Wan-Bissaka couldn't stop the ball going out of play.

64th min: USMNT star Christian Pulisic is on for Mudryk, who tried hard but again failed to make a telling impact in a Chelsea shirt. Joao Felix is also on for the visitors.

61st min: End-to-end stuff as Rashford leads a counter-attack, slips it to Fernandes, but yet another Man United cut-back is behind the intended target! Chelsea go down the other end and Madueke goes to ground as Casemiro blocks his path, but no amount of anger from the visiting fans is going to make that a penalty.

59th min: Hall exchanges a short corner with Fernandez, drives into the box and blasts a shot straight at De Gea. Mudryk tries his luck from the loose ball on the edge of the area, but it deflects up into the air and the United keeper collects.

52nd min: How has the ball stayed out?? Substitute Tyrell Malacia fizzes one across the six-yard line but Eriksen can wrap his foot around it and Kepa reacts brilliantly to claw the ball off the line. It breaks to Casemiro 18 yards out, but his shot curls inches wide.

47th min: What a chance for 3-0! Lindelof pursues Gallagher to within 30 yards of his own goal and wins possession. He plays it to Sancho, who lay it off for Fernandes, but his shot crashes off the crossbar and behind. United could have killed this game then and there.

Second half kickoff

Can Chelsea get back into this one? Let's find out...

Halftime: Man United 2-0 Chelsea

That was pretty much the final act of the half. United lead Chelsea 2-0 thanks to Casemiro and Martial goals, but the visitors have had two thirds of the possession and have missed one or two clear-cut chances themselves. As it stands, though, United are 45 minutes away from a return to the Champions League.

45 + 6 mins: GOAL! Martial makes it 2-0 moments before the break. Sancho runs in behind Hall, who lets him go, and Casemiro picks him out superbly. The winger finds his target this time, rolling the ball across the box to give Martial a tap-in. That's a real blow for the visitors.

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45 + 4 mins: Fernandes spreads the play to Sancho, who drives into the Chelsea box but pulls the ball back behind Eriksen, and the chance is gone. A supporter near the media area makes his feelings about that quite clear.

45 + 1 mins: Another big chance goes begging for Chelsea! It's a brilliant run from Madueke, a fine throughball from Fernandez, but Gallagher drags his shot just wide of David de Gea's right-hand post. Lampard will be very happy with how his side have played here, but taking chances remains a problem.

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43rd min: Lewis Hall pops up in the United box but Wan-Bissaka blocks his shot. Chelsea look the sharper team at the moment, and the Red Devils seem to be happy to hold on until halftime.

40th min: Chelsea work the ball from the right, Fernandez feeds it to Mudryk in the penalty area, but his touch is so heavy it goes out for a goal kick. Fernandez throws his arms up in the air.

38th min: The game seems to have shifted down a gear. United are happy to keep the ball and Chelsea aren't pressing too high, although they are at least attacking with purpose when they win it back.

33rd min: Fernandes goes down in the Chelsea box after Fofana clipped his heel, but the officials are unmoved. A penalty would have been very harsh.

27th min: Antony can't continue. He's just tried to put weight on his right ankle but it's clearly painful. Rashford comes on to replace him.

24th min: Wan-Bissaka puts the ball out so Antony can receive treatment. Chalobah clearly won the ball with a sliding tackle on the edge of the Chelsea box, but the United winger seems hurt. This might be serious.

19th min: Martial is having a shocker here! Eriksen's volley forward gives United a three-on-one, Antony finds the United striker, but he takes a touch rather than shoot first time and Azpilicueta gets a toe on the ball to knock it back to Kepa. A huge chance wasted for 2-0.

16th min: United have had three or four attacks break down because of a poor touch from Martial. Ten Hag will be frustrated if they cannot build on this early lead.

14th min: Chelsea have reacted well to going behind but they can't quite work a way through the United defence. On the break, Antony drives infield from the right, but his shot is poor.

10th min: A chance for Chelsea to equalise! Madueke plays through Havertz, but his cut-back is just too strong for Conor Gallagher to reach.

6th min: GOAL! Man United take the lead! Christian Eriksen floats a free-kick from the left wing into the box, Casemiro rises unchallenged and steers a header high into the net past Kepa. There was a long VAR check for offside, but the goal stands!

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4th min: What a miss! Lewis Hall gets free down the left, squares the ball to Mudryk, but he can't make clean contact and his shot bobbles wide. The winger had the goal at his mercy!

3rd min: United apply some early pressure but a slip from Lindelof allows Havertz to lead a break. When the ball is eventually laid off to Chukwuemeka, he curls a shot comfortably over the bar.

Kick-off

We're off and running in the penultimate Premier League match of the season at Old Trafford.

5 mins to KO: Here come the teams! The sun is just setting over the top of the Stretford End as 'This Is The One' rings out over the tannoy, although you can still make out 'We want Glazers out' emanating from the Stretford End.

15 mins to KO: Erik ten Hag has explained why Rashford is only a substitute for this game. He told Sky Sports: "I wouldn't say only on the bench. I think Manchester United need a good bench with top players. He can do something from the bench, but we have a strong team."

30 mins to KO: According to Opta, this is the youngest starting lineup Chelsea have ever named for a Premier League match in terms of average age (23 years and 238 days). Lampard is pointing to the future, even if he won't be part of it at Stamford Bridge.

1 hour to KO: TEAM NEWS: Man United are unchanged from their 1-0 win at Bournemouth, which means Rashford must settle for a place on the bench. Anthony Martial leads the line.

There's no Raheem Sterling in the squad for Chelsea, with Lampard opting for Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk in attack alongside Kai Havertz.

1 hour 15 mins to KO: Sir Alex Ferguson is, of course, here to watch. The last five league meetings between Man United and Chelsea have ended in draws: 0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 1-1, 1-1. Here's hoping The Boss gets a bit more entertainment tonight.

1 hour 30 mins to KO: This would be an interesting game for Mason Mount given the reports linking him with a move to Man United when the transfer window opens. Unfortunately, he's out injured. Instead, we'll focus on another contract rebel: Marcus Rashford. The United forward is expected to start and will be keen to make an impact after scoring just twice in his past nine league games.

1 hour 45 mins to KO: This might not have the glamour status of United vs. Chelsea matches of bygone years, but interest in the game doesn't seem to have diminished. The roads leading to Old Trafford were heavy with traffic a good three hours before kickoff (not helped by rush hour), and the media centre at the stadium is so busy there are reporters spilling out into the nearby corridor. Of course, Chelsea players in this bloated squad know that feeling only too well.

2 hours to KO: Chelsea have won just one of their past 12 matches in all competitions. Frank Lampard's last two visits to Old Trafford as Blues manager ended 0-0 and 4-0 to the home side. Can he hope for something better this time?

Man United vs Chelsea lineups, team news

United's injury list remains largely unchanged ahead of this fixture, with Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek out for the season. England star Marcus Rashford has recovered from illness but remains on the bench, with Anthony Martial leading the line in an unchanged starting lineup from the win at Bournemouth.

Man United lineup (4-2-3-1): De Gea (GK) — Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw — Eriksen, Casemiro — Antony, Fernandes, Sancho  — Martial

Man United subs: Butland (GK), Maguire, Rashford, Malacia, Fred, Dalot, Weghorst, McTominay, Garnacho

Lampard's injury picture continues to worsen, with Benoit Badiashile, N'Golo Kante and Reece James out until next season, and Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ben Chilwell missing this game.

Chelsea lineup (4-3-3): Kepa (GK) — Azpilicueta, Chalobah, W. Fofana, Hall — Gallagher, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka — Madueke, Havertz, Mudryk

Chelsea subs: Mendy (GK), Silva, Pulisic, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Koulibaly, D. Fofana, Gilchrist

MORE: How many Premier League teams will qualify for Europe?

Man United vs Chelsea live stream, TV channel

  Date Time TV channel Streaming
USA May 25 3 p.m. EDT — Peacock
Canada May 25 3 p.m. EDT — Fubo
UK May 25 8 p.m. BST Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event Sky GO
India May 26 12.30 a.m. IST — Hotstar VIP,
JioTV
Australia May 26 5 a.m. AEST — Optus Sport
New Zealand May 26 7 a.m. NZST — Sky Sport NOW, Sky Go NZ
Hong Kong May 26 3a.m. HKT Now Premier League 
(Ch. 620-621)		 Now E,
Now Player
Malaysia May 26 3 a.m. MYT Astro Supersport 3 Astro Go, sooka
Singapore May 26 3 a.m. SGT HUB Sports 1 StarHub TV+

USA: This match will be streamed on Peacock.

Canada: Every Premier League game streams live in Canada on Fubo.

UK: The match will be broadcast live in the UK via Sky Sports' TV and streaming services.

Australia: Optus Sport is the exclusive broadcaster of Premier League football in Australia with live and on-demand coverage.

MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.