With a haphazard 2-1 victory over Chelsea, Manchester United put a strain on beleaguered manager Ruben Amorim, who finished with 10 men at Old Trafford.
After a disappointing start to the season, Amorim was forced to fight to avoid being fired after just five minutes of the game against Chelsea.
In his 200th Premier League appearance, Bruno Fernandes scored United’s 100th goal in all competitions.
Before Casemiro was sent off in stoppage time for a second booking, United doubled their lead.
A tense finale was set for Trevoh Chalobah’s late reply for Chelsea, but United held on for just their second win in six matches so far this season.
Amorim’s side moved up to ninth place to give the Portuguese coach some breathing room after the team started languishing just above the relegation zone.
Amorim shouldn’t rest on his laurels just yet, despite having only won nine of his 32 Premier League games.
Amorim spent a lot of money in the summer revamping his moribund team after leading United to its lowest top-flight performance since 1973-74 and a hapless Europa League final defeat to Tottenham last term.
Before last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City underscored the vast gap between United and their rivals, United suffered an embarrassing League Cup exit at fourth-tier Grimsby in August.
READ MORE: Despite “Suffering,” Amorim won’t change in the Dismal Man Utd Run.
After speaking with the British billionaire at the club’s training ground on Thursday, former Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim, who took the place of the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, insists he retains co-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s backing.
Ratcliffe checked into Old Trafford’s rain-soaked box to see if he had any good intentions for Amorim.
Amorim Relief
He continued to use his much-criticized 3-4-3 formation after joking this week that the Pope was unable to force him to alter his tactics as storm clouds started to build up for Amorim.
United started well with left wing-back Patrick Dorgu crossing for Bryan Mbeumo, whose header was saved by Sanchez.
Moments later, the unpredictable Sanchez hurriedly outside of his penalty area in a bid to clear before Mbeumo could fire a reckless challenge that knocked the United forward to the ground.
Chelsea received a clear red card for denying them a chance to score goals, and they received no complaints about their quickest-ever Premier League dismissal.
In a defensive move that immediately had a negative effect, Maresca removed wingers Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto in the place of Sanchez.
After Fernandes’ free kick was volleyed past the Chelsea wall, United went for the jugular, and Mbeumo volleyed just over.
When Fernandes, who was playing just onside by Chalobah, perfected his run to meet Dorgu’s header with a clinical finish from four yards, Amorim’s men took the lead in the fourteenth minute.
When England’s Cole Palmer was forced to leave with a suspected groin injury, making it three remarkable substitutions for Chelsea in just 21 minutes.
In the 37th minute, Chelsea imploded to give United their second goal in the manner of Amorim, and for once, the luck was all going Amorim’s way.
Casemiro fired home from close range for his first league goal in 11 months as Reece James’ sliced clearance was headed on by Harry Maguire.
After needlessly pulling back Andrey Santos, Casemiro was red after being charged with an earlier foul on Enzo Fernandez.
United struggled to find rhythm in the second half, but Chalobah cut the deficit in the 80th minute when James cross with a powerful header that flew past Altay Bayindir from 12 yards.
Source: Channels TV
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