"My fault today, I apologize to the whole team. The lads put in a great effort in the second half but couldn't turn it around," Sanchez wrote on his Instagram Story after the loss at Old Trafford.
Robert Sanchez fouled Bryan Mbeumo and received a red card in the 5th minute of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Man Utd at Old Trafford, Manchester, England on 20/9/2025. Photo: PA Wire
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Cole Palmer made way for Andrey Santos in the 21st minute. Photo: PA |
In the 5th minute, Sanchez rushed out of the penalty area and caught Bryan Mbeumo's thigh as the Cameroonian forward broke through. Referee Peter Bankes issued a straight red card as the Spanish goalkeeper was the last defender and denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
This was the earliest red card for a Chelsea goalkeeper in Premier League history and the third earliest for any goalkeeper in the league's history.
Playing a man down, Chelsea struggled and conceded goals to Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. The numbers were evened when Casemiro received a second yellow card and was sent off late in the first half. The Blues improved in the second half and managed to pull one back through Trevoh Chalobah's header.
"The first 15 minutes were our worst period of the season so far," Chalobah told Sky Sports. "With 10 men, it was always going to be difficult. We have to learn from this and raise our standards as a team."
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Cole Palmer made way for Andrey Santos in the 21st minute. Photo: PA
Sanchez's early red card forced Chelsea onto the back foot and led to a series of substitutions to shore up the defense. Manager Enzo Maresca replaced Estevao with backup goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and Pedro Neto with Tosin Adarabioyo.
In the 21st minute, the Italian manager replaced Cole Palmer with Andrey Santos. After leaving the pitch, the English forward went straight down the tunnel with an ice pack on his thigh before returning to the bench at the end of the first half.
Maresca said that Palmer wasn't fully fit and felt pain again from the 20th minute. The 23-year-old midfielder had just recovered from a long-term groin injury. The 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the first round of the Champions League was Palmer's first start since the opening weekend of the Premier League.
The loss to Man Utd dropped Chelsea to sixth place with eight points. On 23/9, Maresca's team will travel to League One club Lincoln City for the third round of the League Cup.
Hong Duy (according to Daily Mail, ESPN)
