EPL: Better for Mbeumo to score than Sanchez red card – Maresca

By Emmanuel Okogba with agency report

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has faulted goalkeeper Robert Sánchez after his early decision to foul Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo and getting sent off, saying conceding a goal was preferable to going a man down.

Mbeumo who was through on goal was hacked down by an onrushing Sanchez to prevent a certain goal inside the opening minutes at Old Trafford. The Spaniard was then sent off by referee Peter Bankes for the reckless challenge, leading to a number of substitutes as the Chelsea boss tried to manage that outcome.

“It was better to let Mbeumo score than get a red card,” Maresca said in a post-match comment.

“We still had 95 minutes to play. Robert is aware of that. It’s difficult, but if you ask me, I prefer to be one goal down after five minutes than one player down.”

Manchester United went on to win the match 2-1 with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro who also got sent off after two yellow card offences.

Chelsea were hoping to get back to winning ways after drawing their last Premier League fixture with Brentford 2-2 and losing 3-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

With storm clouds gathering for Amorim, he stuck with his much-criticised 3-4-3 formation after joking this week that even the Pope could not make him change his tactics.

The move paid dividends as the erratic Sanchez rashly raced out of his penalty area in a bid to clear before Bryan Mbeumo could reach Benjamin Sesko’s flick, but instead sent the United forward crashing to the turf.

It was a clear red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity and there were no complaints from Chelsea about their quickest ever Premier League dismissal.

Filip Jorgensen replaced Sanchez in goal as Maresca took off wingers Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto in a defensive move that immediately backfired.

United went for the jugular and took the lead in the 14th minute when Fernandes, played just onside by Chalobah, timed his run perfectly to meet Patrick Dorgu’s header with a clinical finish from four yards.

Chelsea’s misery mounted when England forward Cole Palmer was forced off with an apparent recurrence of a groin injury, making it a remarkable three substitutions in only 21 minutes for the Blues.

For once, the luck was all going Amorim’s way and Chelsea imploded to gift United their second goal in the 37th minute.

Jorgensen stood rooted to the spot as Reece James’s sliced clearance was headed on by Harry Maguire to Casemiro, who nodded home from close range for his first league goal in 11 months.

Casemiro, booked for an earlier foul on Enzo Fernandez, saw red on the stroke of half-time after needlessly pulling back Andrey Santos.

United struggled to find any rhythm in the second half and Chalobah reduced the deficit in the 80th minute when he rose unmarked to meet James’s cross with a powerful header that flashed past Altay Bayindir from 12 yards.

It was too late to stop Chelsea slumping to their first league defeat this season as Amorim breathed a sigh of relief.

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