Manchester United sealed their return to the Champions League with a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were nowhere near their best and gave away several opportunities to the Chelsea team, but first-half goals from Casemiro and Anthony Martial put the hosts in command.

Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford added to the scoreline in the second 45 minutes before Joao Felix came off the bench to grab a consolation for the visitors.

 

It was the third consecutive win for Man United while Chelsea suffered consecutive losses to both sides in Manchester within seven days.

 

Chelsea will be disappointed with how United did score, having allowed Casemiro to ghost through unchallenged in the middle of the box to meet an in-swinging Christian Eriksen free-kick with his head. There was a brief hold to check it for offside, but the VAR decision let the goal stand.

 

 

Manchester picked up where they left off after the restart when Fernandes hit the angle of post and bar. They also should have scored a third when Kepa Arrizabalaga somehow clawed out a goal-bound touch from Eriksen, who couldn’t get proper contact with a cross that was slightly behind him. On the follow-up from the edge of the box, Casemiro sent a measured shot just wide.

 

£75m centre-back Wesley Fofana roughed Fernandes in the box, swiping a lazy leg at the United captain, who then promptly got up to comfortably convert from 12 yards.

Chelsea did pull one back through Felix, who came off the bench to drive from midfield with the ball and then unleash a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Chelsea will now go to next season under a new manager, Mauricio Pochettino and with no European commitments. They will have to focus on the premier league. Manchester United who have a FA cup final to play against Manchester City, have now qualified for next season’s champions league.