By Victor Kanayo
Manchester United on Thursday night bashed Chelsea 4-1 in a Premier League match as the season winds down.
With the latest victory, the Red Devils moved up to third place and sealed their place in the UEFA Champions League.
How Manchester United Stood Tall
Casemiro headed in Christian Eriksen’s free-kick early in the game and Anthony Martial added a second from close range in first-half stoppage time.
In between, Frank Lampard’s side squandered series of excellent chances and their wastefulness was costly.
Bruno Fernandes won and scored a penalty before Wesley Fofana, the man who had conceded the spot-kick, proceeded to gift the Portugal midfielder the ball for the fourth, allowing him to set up substitute Marcus Rashford. It was wretched from Chelsea.
It is one win in 13 games for them now – 10 of them under Lampard. This was the youngest Blues line-up in Premier League history. Neither that nor Joao Felix’s late goal provide much consolation. Where they lacked conviction, Casemiro and the rest were decisive.
The only disappointment for United, who move above Newcastle, was a troubling injury to Antony. But it was an otherwise good night for Erik ten Hag’s team.
They needed one point to end Liverpool’s hopes of catching them.
They won all three in style.
Chelsea Struggle Continues
Chelsea remain in 12th, on 43 points, guaranteed to finish the season with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally.
In extending their unbeaten run against Chelsea to a club-record 11 Premier League matches, United move on to 72 points and will confirm a third-place finish with a home win over Fulham on the final day.
