Man United and Chelsea settle for a draw

Ruud van Nistelrooij's tenure as interim coach of Manchester United saw its second chapter on Sunday evening, with the Red Devils playing to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea. The clash at Old Trafford marked a continuation of Chelsea’s winless run at the stadium, which dates back to May 2013.

Former teammates reunite on the sidelines

Van Nistelrooij found himself facing off against familiar faces, with Enzo Maresca and Willy Caballero, both former teammates from his Málaga days in the 2011/2012 season, now part of Chelsea’s coaching team. After a closely contested battle filled with chances, both coaches seemed content with a draw, though neither side benefitted greatly from a shared point. Manchester United, now with 12 points from 10 matches, remains 13th in the Premier League, while Chelsea, holding 18 points, stays in 4th place. Despite creating a combined 23 attempts (11 for United and 12 for Chelsea), the 1-1 draw highlighted both teams' struggles to capitalize on key opportunities. Manchester United, however, had the edge in the final stages with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes each threatening to secure a late winner.

Key moments and missed opportunities

Chelsea came close to an early lead when Noni Madueke, who played under Van Nistelrooij at PSV before his 2022 move to Chelsea, hit the post with a close-range header from a Cole Palmer corner. United nearly responded just before halftime when Marcus Rashford's volley, set up by a well-timed pass from Bruno Fernandes, clipped the crossbar, leaving the score goalless at the break. The breakthrough for United came in the 70th minute. Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez clipped Rasmus Højlund in the box. The Danish forward had been released by a pinpoint pass from Casemiro, who was in top form, building on his performance from the midweek 5-2 League Cup victory over Leicester City.

Quick Chelsea response and historic struggles

United’s lead was short-lived as Chelsea struck back just four minutes later. Following a deflected corner, Moisés Caicedo found the ball at his feet and drilled a shot through the legs of Mykhailo Mudryk and past United keeper André Onana. The goal secured a point for Chelsea, but their search for a win at Old Trafford continues—a drought stretching over 11 years, since Juan Mata’s lone goal sealed a 1-0 victory for the Blues on May 5, 2013.

Standings and outlook

Despite the draw, Manchester United’s position in the Premier League remains precarious, with Van Nistelrooij and his team under pressure to find consistent form. Chelsea missed an opportunity to pull away from Arsenal and Aston Villa, who both suffered defeats this weekend, allowing Nottingham Forest to hold onto third place in the standings with 19 points. Liverpool and Manchester City, with 25 and 23 points respectively, continue to lead the pack after 10 rounds of play.