Manchester United claimed a crucial 2–1 victory over Chelsea in a dramatic Premier League encounter at Old Trafford on Saturday, easing pressure on under-fire manager Ruben Amorim and lifting the Red Devils back into the top half of the table.

The result, achieved in wet Mancunian conditions, marked United’s second consecutive home win and extended Chelsea’s 13-year winless run at the stadium.

The game took a major twist within the opening minutes when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off for a reckless challenge on Bryan Mbeumo after just five minutes. Reduced to ten men, the Blues were immediately put under pressure and United capitalised.

Bruno Fernandes broke the deadlock, steering home Patrick Dorgu’s delivery to notch his 100th goal in 200 appearances for the club. Casemiro doubled the lead shortly after, finishing from close range following Harry Maguire’s knockdown.

However, the Brazilian midfielder’s evening ended early when he was dismissed in first-half stoppage time for a foul on Chelsea’s Santo, leaving both sides with ten men heading into the break.

Chelsea showed greater resilience after the restart. Their persistence paid off when captain Reece James delivered a pinpoint cross for Trevoh Chalobah to head past Altay Bayindir and reduce the deficit.

United endured late pressure but held firm, with a squandered counter-attack from Matheus Cunha preventing them from restoring their two-goal cushion.

The win relieves some of the mounting scrutiny on Amorim following weeks of speculation about his future, while Chelsea’s woes continued after their midweek Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

The match also had a sour subplot as Alejandro Garnacho, returning to Old Trafford, was jeered by sections of the home crowd during his warm-up.

In other Premier League action on Saturday, Liverpool extended their winning streak to five games with a victory over Everton to stay top of the table. Tottenham and Brighton settled for a draw, Burnley and Nottingham Forest also shared the spoils, while Crystal Palace edged West Ham 2–1 to pile further pressure on Graham Potter after his side’s 3–1 defeat to Leeds.

Elsewhere, Nigeria international Alex Iwobi was on target for Fulham, scoring an early opener in their 3–1 win over Brentford that lifted the Cottagers into seventh place.