Manchester United somehow lost 4-3 to Chelsea on Thursday, despite leading deep into injury time in what will undoubtedly go down as an all-time Premier League classic.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 04: Referee Jarred Gillett shows Harry Maguire of Manchester United a yellow card following the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on April 4, 2024 in London, England.
Following Manchester United’s record-breaking 4-3 defeat to Chelsea, an angry Harry Maguire was booked.
Cole Palmer scored a hat-trick in the 102nd minute, the latest in Premier League history, to seal all three points for Chelsea, who lead 2-0 before falling behind 3-2 in extra time. After one of the most exciting games in recent memory, Maguire remonstrated with referee Jarred Gilett inside the center circle, but was only given a yellow card.
It’s unclear what the England international was moaning about, but United’s players were dissatisfied with the penalty awarded for Chelsea’s third goal and the fact that the game had lasted longer than the eight extra minutes allowed by the fourth official. Maguire played every minute of the seven-goal thriller, which began with an early strike by Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
In the 19th minute, United winger Antony conceded a penalty for Chelsea’s second, which Palmer converted past Andre Onana for his first of three goals. United rallied before halftime, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes tying the game.
Garnacho scored again in the 67th minute to complete Erik ten Hag’s comeback, although Chelsea continued to press for an equaliser late on. They ultimately broke United’s resolve in the 100th minute when Diogo Dalot gave away a penalty, which Palmer converted again after a lengthy VAR review.
Only 82 seconds later, man of the match and boyhood United fan Palmer found himself in an incredible amount of space at a corner, receiving the ball and unleashing a shot on goal that deflected in off Scott McTominay, sending Stamford Bridge berserk. The curtain ultimately came down on a rollercoaster night, leaving Maguire and his teammates sad.
Ten Hag complained to TNT Sports after the game: “You can’t give it away like we did, and we need to control this game better. It is a team performance; you can point to a specific person, but it is all about the team.
“When things get hectic, you have to deal with it as a team, and we made the wrong decisions and did not work together. We made awful decisions when out of possession. Also, I think we got lucky at the end with the penalty situation, which was debatable and very soft but we need to improve.”
