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When Brighton won at Old Trafford in August 2022, it felt as though Erik ten Hag would struggle to reach September as Manchester United manager never mind the Champions League.
That was to be the last time United were beaten at home in a Premier League campaign that ends against Fulham. This has been a hugely encouraging season and all the more so if United can add the FA Cup to the Carabao Cup when they meet Manchester City at Wembley.
Ten Hag needed a point from these final two games to be sure of a top-four finish and his players did it at the first time of asking in a rather bonkers free-for-all. It finished 4-1 but could easily have been 10-5. The end of a wretched season and the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino cannot come soon enough.
They were already guaranteed to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time in 27 years, and this set a new record of 16 defeats in a 38-game season.
Caretaker boss Frank Lampard has now lost eight of his 10 games since taking over last month.
‘Another reality day,’ was how Lampard described it afterwards and these are painful times for his club.
But even a month short of his 45th birthday, Lampard would probably have done a better marking job than his players when United took a sixth-minute lead.
Christian Eriksen whipped over an excellent free kick from the left and Casemiro was able to breach the thin blue line too easily.
He strolled in between Wesley Fofana and Kai Havertz to nod past Kepa Arrizabalaga from close range.
For Chelsea, it seemed typical of their malaise.
It was evident at the other end of the pitch when Mykhailo Mudryk made an awful hash of an early chance and again when Havertz had the simple task of squaring the ball to Conor Gallagher in front of goal but somehow over-hit the pass.
Havertz then headed wide in front of goal from Lewis Hall’s cross, and Enzo Fernandez sent Gallagher through but he pulled his shot wide of the far post.
United made the most of the let-off in the fifth of six minutes added on for Antony’s injury.
Rashford tapped in the fourth before Felix denied United a seventh clean sheet in a row in the league at Old Trafford.
Solid defence has seen them over the line in the race for the Champions League, and goodness knows they will need it against City.
The misery will end for Chelsea at home to Newcastle on Sunday.
This win lifts United above Eddie Howe’s side into third place.
However, it would be a surprise if Ten Hag risked further injuries for the Cup Final by going full-strength against Fulham.
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