When Brighton won at Old Trafford in August, 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 here on Sunday. Victory over sitting ducks Chelsea last night confirmed that Ten Hag has indeed lifted the club back among Europe’s elite.
That was his No 1 target when he arrived from Ajax last summer and the Dutchman deserves great credit for achieving it. 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 in eight days’ time.
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.
Despite the scoreline, if United play like this at Wembley it could get ugly. Ten Hag knows City will not be nearly as wasteful as Chelsea.
Man United beat Chelsea 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday evening to secure Champions League football for next season
However, the victory came at a cost with Brazilian winger Antony taken off the pitch on a stretcher early in the first half
Defensive midfielder Casemiro opened the scoring for United before striker Anthony Martial (above) added to the tally
United blew their fair share of chances too in a game strewn with errors. There have been some epic encounters between these two clubs down the years, and this wasn’t one of them.
The architect of United’s victory was Casemiro, five days after his acrobatic overheard kick proved decisive at Bournemouth.
The Brazilian scored the first and helped create the second for Anthony Martial with another moment of magic. Bruno Fernandes got the third from the penalty spot before Marcus Rashford celebrated his 30th of the season.
Victory came a cost, however. Brazil winger Antony was stretchered off in the 28th minute after sustaining an injury to his right ankle in a challenge with Trevoh Chalobah and must now be a serious doubt for Wembley.
Luke Shaw also went off with a back problem. At least, Antony’s replacement Rashford looked sharp after two games out through injury and illness.
So did Alejandro Garnacho even though the teenager could have had a hat-trick after coming on in the 70th minute. Both players are capable of making life difficult for City.
And what of Chelsea? 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.
Captain Bruno Fernandes (middle) found the back of the net from the penalty spot after being fouled by Wesley Fofana
Marcus Rashford (right) came off the bench after half an hour and added Man United’s fourth and final goal of the game
Dutch manager Erik ten Hag (pictured above) was calling for his United side to be more defensively solid in the second half
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.
He took the opportunity to rest Raheem Sterling and Thiago Silva, bringing Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke into what was Chelsea’s youngest-ever starting line-up in the Premier League at 23 years and 238 days.
There was no shortage of effort.
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.
Casemiro was pivotal in the goal again, dinking a lovely pass over the top of the Chelsea defence for Jadon Sancho who slid the ball to the back post.
Having allowed Cesar Azpilicueta to get back and make a goal-saving tackle earlier in the half, Martial didn’t make the same mistake again as he scored in an empty net.
Lampard’s expression when Stuart Attwell blew for half-time said it all.
Chelsea had given as good as they got in an open first half but were going in two down.
Chances continued to go begging in the second half, mainly at the away end.
Fernandes and Garnacho rattled the woodwork, and Eriksen couldn’t quite bundle the ball over the line from a couple of inches out.
Fernandes eventually got the third in the 73rd minute after he was brought down by a careless challenge from Fofana.
Rashford tapped in the fourth before Felix denied United a seventh clean sheet in a row in the league at Old Trafford.
On-loan Portuguese star Joao Felix (left) managed to score a consolation goal for Chelsea in the 89th minute of the game
The result means Manchester United have secured Champions League football for next season at the expense of Liverpool
Interim Blues manager Frank Lampard (left) looked frustrated as he spoke with Cesar Azpilicueta (right) after the game
Man United celebrated in front of their home fans after securing Champions League football with the invaluable three points
The Red Devils will look to beat rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final next month to help stop City win a superb Treble
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.
Only one game matters now.
