Chelsea Deny Manchester United Victory in Van Nistelrooy’s Debut
Manchester United’s hopes of a resurgence under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy were dashed as Chelsea held them to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Despite Bruno Fernandes’ penalty putting United ahead, Moises Caicedo’s swift response denied them victory.
United, still reeling from Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, showed signs of improvement but struggled to overcome their familiar flaws. Chelsea, on the other hand, extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to nine games.
The match began with Chelsea threatening through Noni Madueke’s header that struck the post. United gradually gained momentum but failed to capitalize on chances, with Marcus Rashford hitting the crossbar before halftime.
After the break, Chelsea’s Pedro Neto nearly broke the deadlock, but his shot went wide. United’s breakthrough came when Robert Sanchez fouled Rasmus Hojlund in the box, allowing Fernandes to convert a penalty.
However, Chelsea responded swiftly. A corner was cleared to the edge of the box, where Caicedo unleashed a stunning strike into the bottom corner. Chelsea nearly took the lead when Enzo Fernandez missed a golden opportunity with Andre Onana stranded.
United pushed for a winner in the closing stages, but Garnacho’s acrobatic effort flew over. The draw leaves United in 13th place, six points adrift of the top four, while Chelsea move above Arsenal into fourth on goal difference.
Van Nistelrooy, who will be replaced by Ruben Amorim later this month, acknowledged the team’s shortcomings. “We showed some good things, but we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “We need to be more clinical in front of goal and improve our decision-making.”
Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised his team’s resilience. “We showed great character to come back after going behind,” he said. “We’re still a work in progress, but we’re moving in the right direction.”