Man Utd won 2-1 against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday and here are the talking points and moments you might have missed.
Steven is a senior writer and covers Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News. You can follow Steven on Twitter at @StevenRailston.
Garnacho was booed at Old Trafford – and did not get off the bench.(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Manchester United won 2-1 against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was shown a red card just minutes into the game. That handed an advantage to United and the Reds went 2-0 up thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
There was a twist before the interval when Casemiro received a second yellow card.
Chelsea set up a nervy end to the game when Trevoh Chalobah scored with 10 minutes remaining, but United defended bravely to secure a much-needed victory for Ruben Amorim.
Here are the talking points and moments you might have missed:
The reaction for Garnacho
The chatter before the game was about whether Garnacho would start. The youngster completed a £40million move to Chelsea in the final week of the window and he was expected to receive a negative reception.
Garnacho was named on the bench and came out late to warm up. He was booed by each corner of the crowd and chants of “who’s that t*** from Argentina” started as the match kicked off.
Chelsea fans have stolen United’s chant for Garnacho and aired “Viva Garnacho” before the break, which seemed like a request for Enzo Maresca to introduce him for the second half.
Garnacho was heckled again when he prepared to come on – but Maresca decided against bringing him on. Garnacho is a United academy graduate, he provided some brilliant moments for the first team and scored the opening goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, but the circumstances that led to his departure to Chelsea mean he won’t be remembered with much fondness.
“Who’s that t*** from Argentina” came from the Stretford End again at the final whistle.
Amorim got what he wanted
An evening kick-off felt like the perfect chance to deliver a spirited display and that’s exactly what the players produced. United showed intent from the first whistle and showed the “aggression” that Amorim wants.
United were not complacent after going two goals ahead and battled hard to win duels. There was even one moment when Harry Maguire won a slide challenge and tapped Joao Pedro on the chest to rub it in.
That was followed by Amad smashing the ball into the stands to thwart a Chelsea attack. Amad whipped up the crowd by waving his arms and United supporters lapped it up, responding with huge cheers.
Amorim discussed the importance of being aggressive and his message has been received. He will be delighted with the victory, although it didn’t need to be as nervy as it was in the closing stages.
The applause for Maguire
Maguire made his first Premier League start of the season against Chelsea and United fans showed what they thought of his strong display when he was replaced by Leny Yoro in the 70th minute.
The England international left the pitch by the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and received rapturous applause as he walked around to the bench. “Ohhh Harry Maguire,” the Stretford End chanted as Maguire applauded back.
Maguire was great last season but has been forced to be patient to make his first league start. The 32-year-old vindicated his selection and is essentially playing for a new deal now he’s entered the last year of his contract.
Before the game, Maguire was gifted a framed shirt for making his 250th appearance for the club. He will be hoping he can reach 300 appearances, but that means he will have to earn a new deal.
Amad was delighted
Chelsea have not won at Old Trafford since May 2013 and they had a mountain to climb to end that run when Sanchez received a red card just four minutes into the contest.
Benjamin Sesko did brilliantly to flick on a header to Bryan Mbeumo, who was brought to the ground outside the box by Sanchez. The referee was left with no choice but to show Sanchez a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, and Amad jumped on Mbeumo to celebrate while he was still on the floor.
The red card handed United an opportunity they could not squander. Old Trafford was in fine voice from the first whistle and the noise cranked up another level when Sanchez trudged off the pitch.
United fans did their bit from the stands to spur the team on to a much-needed win.
Ratcliffe finally watches a win
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a split allegiance for United and Chelsea, so it was no surprise to see him in attendance on Saturday. Ratcliffe held a meeting with Amorim on Thursday and it felt likely he would stay in Manchester for another two nights to watch the clash in the directors’ box at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe was spotted chatting with Sir Alex Ferguson before the game. Then the monitors in the press box showed Ferguson mouthing “he has to go” when Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez fouled Mbeumo.
Ratcliffe attended the Manchester derby and was pictured with his hands on his head, a familiar sight since he invested into the club. Fortunately, Ratcliffe was present for a victory this weekend, which was crucial for Amorim after a week of headlines and speculation about his future.