Chelsea vs. Manchester United score: Casemiro rescues point at Stamford Bridge with stoppage-time header

A late header goal from Casemiro rescued a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Chelsea on Saturday in Premier League play. Chelsea went up 1-0 on a late penalty from Jorginho, but the Red Devils battled back in added time to salvage something.

United were dominating the match early but Chelsea boss Graham Potter had a good read on the game pulling Marc Cucurella only 36 minutes into the match for Mateo Kovacic. The shift would see Chelsea change to a 4-3-3 formation to deal with United overrunning the midfield. When control shifted to Chelsea, it was Eric ten Hag’s turn in the second half to withdraw Jadon Sancho for Fred to up the tempo of the match. 

In a battle between master tacticians, they played their cards well but neither could get an edge early in the match. Almost at the close of the match, both managers threw on fresh legs and it was Armando Broja who drew a penalty after being bundled over by Scott McTominay. Jorginho would finish it, but the lead was short-lived with Casemiro’s fantastic header in the fourth minute of added time. 

There was a moment of massive worry for Manchester United as Raphael Varane left the match with an injury after going in for a challenge on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and landing awkwardly. He would be replaced in the 59th minute by Victor Lindelof but the good news for United is that Varane did walk off under his own power, though it was in tears. 

The draw was a deserved result but it is one that opens the door for losing ground in the top four as Sunday’s match between Spurs and Newcastle United has taken on larger importance. Spurs are two points ahead of Chelsea and three ahead of United sitting in third place so a victory by them would open a gap, but a Newcastle victory can see them move into a top-four place as well. 

Here are a few takeaways from the match:

Excellence from the spot

While one part of United conceding was McTominay’s mistake in taking down Armando Broja, Jorginho’s execution from the spot was excellent. Before he took his chance, Bruno Fernandes was conferencing with David de Gea to provide advice but no advice in the world was stopping the take. Jorginho stared down the United keeper the whole way, not looking at the ball after it was placed and with a slight skip, it was in the back of the net.

It looked like the game-changing moment with little to go, but it was just the beginning. 

The reading of the game

The hallmark of the match was the tactical battle between the managers on the touchline as Potter and ten Hag were trying to keep up with each other when it came to making changes, trying to negate any advantage. With Potter taking over Chelsea after the season began and ten Hag in his first season as the United boss, it’s impressive how quickly they have gotten handles on their respective teams. While early subs are usually seen as a player putting in a poor performance and being hooked, that wasn’t the case when Cucurella was withdrawn for Kovacic. Potter not only was able to acknowledge that his plan was wrong and changed the balance of the team, but he also had the confidence to make a change as early as needed in the second consecutive match. 

Similarly with ten Hag, after keeping his faith in Christian Eriksen after he missed the win over Spurs due to illness, Fred had to settle for a place on the bench despite putting in a strong performance and scoring a goal in that match. But when United needed a lift off the bench, Fred came in to provide it with Sancho being withdrawn. While the changes by the managers also show where each team lacks depth, they will go a long way to improving the teams in the long run if they can build chemistry and confidence.

Kepa is back and then some

Perhaps the biggest change that Potter has made since taking over has been Kepa Arrizabalaga taking charge between the sticks instead of Edouard Mendy. While Mendy was out with a knee injury, now that the Sengalese shot-stopper is back, he has had to settle for a place on the bench due to Kepa’s performances. While his shutout streak of almost ten hours was broken with Casemiro’s stoppage-time header, Kepa has looked worthy of being the most expensive goalkeeper in the world under Potter as his confidence has been restored. He made five saves, two of which were inside the box as Marcus Rashford was bearing down in the first half. His confidence has allowed the Chelsea defense to be more aggressive as they look to help contribute to the attack.