A breathtaking match that kept us on the edge from start to finish, Chelsea’s insane double in extra time secured the win, as Cole Palmer’s first Chelsea hat-trick marked the most dramatic victory over Manchester United.
In Short
Chelsea’s Late Win
In a fierce contest, Chelsea managed to emerge victorious despite trailing in the 99th minute. Then came Palmer’s intervention, equalizing first from the penalty spot after Noni Madueke was brought down by Diogo Dalot, followed by a sensational turn of events just a minute later to seal the win with a deflected shot.
The Blues had taken a two-goal lead in the first half, which was set in motion quite early when Havertz completed his hat-trick in the 11th minute.
A simply breathtaking end to a football match. #CFC | #CheMun pic.twitter.com/DNQz2bmG93
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 4, 2024
Connor Gallagher made his way into our first half within five minutes, before Palmer doubled his advantage when he capitalized on a foul on Marc Cucurella, this time committed by Anthony Elanga.
However, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes leveled the score to 2-2 by halftime, and Manchester United took the lead after the break through Garnacho’s second goal. Nevertheless, it was Chelsea and Palmer who had the final say on that incredible night at Stamford Bridge, a moment not easily forgotten.
Gallagher Strikes
It was a fast-paced start to the game, which Chelsea capitalized on with industrious play in our midfield, almost resulting in an early goal within the first five minutes. Perhaps it was inevitable that scorer Connor Gallagher would be in the spotlight, especially after Chelsea’s captain faced disgraceful online abuse earlier in the week, and the way he’s performing reflects his response.
Conor's goal that got us going! 💪#CFC | #CheMun pic.twitter.com/vR3G6uDBTy
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 5, 2024
This move started with a beautiful out-of-the-boot pass from Enzo Fernandez, splitting Manchester United’s defense and freeing Malang Sarr on the right. Raphael Varane got a toe to his low cross, but only diverted it towards Gallagher. There was no mistake from Gallagher, as his first-time shot had enough power to evade André Onana’s outstretched hand.
It was clear how much the moment meant to Gallagher, as he raced towards the Shed End and West Stand corners to celebrate with Chelsea fans, matching their enthusiasm with his numbers. The competition was already heating up from the previous season.
United attempted to turn the tide, but efforts from Georgie Petrovich and Anthony were more of a threat, with them gathering themselves well before Mykola Mudryk unleashed a ranged shot that went wide.
The subsequent spell saw the home team putting up their best performance, at least in terms of possession, but it was the Blues who posed the most danger and soon found an opportunity to extend their lead. Mudryk overlapped with Mark Cucurella, and when the Spaniard attempted to curl one into the box, it inadvertently found Gallagher at the back post.
The game turned upside down
However, United managed to claw back a goal after half an hour, and it came from nowhere. The ball was played wide in the right-hand channel, and Moises Casado found himself with it. With the option of returning to Petrovich or going inside to Benoit Badiashile, he opted for the latter, but it was blocked by Alejandro Garnacho, who made a clear run to score.
This shock was soon reversed, as the home team equalized just before halftime. On this occasion, they orchestrated the attack by stretching the play wide with a precise cross-field pass, enabling Dalot to locate Bruno Fernandes waiting at the far post with a well-placed cross. This provided ample room to capitalize and head the ball into the net for a goal.
2-2 at Break
Chelsea immediately started its quest to regain the lead and were just inches away from doing so in stoppage time of the first half. Following a reverse pass from Havertz, Gallagher took a shot towards goal, but it came back off the right-hand post, and blues went into the break at 2-2.
Just like when this encounter kicked off an hour earlier, the game started off at a frantic pace in the opening stages of the second half. This time, however, some strong defensive blocks denied clear sight of goal for some time, until Nicholas Jackson denied Onana with a strong shot from the right, and Fernandes fired wide from a good position on the edge of our box.
Blues down but never out
The game was finely poised, and it felt like the next goal could be crucial. Unfortunately, it fell the wrong way on a counter for Manchester United. Anthony was able to break the offside trap and his cross found Petrovich, who got stuck in, giving Garnacho a chance to finish from behind the net, giving United the lead for the first time in the game.
The Blues tried to fight back, and soon Onana was clearing the ball from under his crossbar as Palmer attempted to poke it in from a tight angle with a crossbar clearance.
Chelsea’s press for Equalizer & Win
From then on, the game was played almost exclusively in Manchester United’s half as the Blues pressed for the equalizer. It seemed like it wouldn’t come until, in extra time, Noni Madueke was tripped by Dalot inside the box, and for the second time in the game, the referee awarded a penalty against United’s full-back.
In the end, to equalize and salvage a late draw, Palmer once again employed the same method. Or so it seemed! Surprisingly, the goal hadn’t been cancelled out yet, and with less than a minute left, Chelsea snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, sending the bench into wild celebrations.
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Enzo played a short pass to Palmer from a tight angle, and our number 20 fired amidst the crowd. It was a big deflection off Scott McTominay, but no one was taking Palmer’s first Chelsea hat-trick away from him, as he emerged from the mayhem on the pitch to join in the unbelievable scenes of jubilation.
What’s next
Chelsea returns to Premier League action on Sunday, April 7, but this time on the road. The Blues travel north for a 5.30pm kick-off against Sheffield United.”
