MANCHESTER, England –
Manchester United earned their right to return to the Champions League with a 4-1 win over Chelsea on Thursday.
Goals from Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford secured a win, meaning a Premier League top four spot is now secure in Erik ten Hag’s first year at the club.
United rose to third place and two points ahead of Newcastle to enter the final game of the season.
United needed a point in their last two games to secure Champions League spot and took the lead in the sixth minute when Casemiro headed in from a Christian Eriksen free-kick.
Mykhaylo Mudryk should have put Chelsea ahead before that, but the $108 million signing was completely unsuccessful as only goalkeeper David de Gea could beat.
Martial doubled United’s lead in first-half stoppage time to help the hosts control the ball at half-time.
Fernandes scored a third from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after being cut down by Wesley Fofana.
Things took a turn for the worse for Fofana and Chelsea when the defender’s misplaced pass was caught and substitute Rashford scored a fourth five minutes later.
Another substitute Alejandro Garnacho shot over the bar late in the game as United looked for another player.
Chelsea substitute Joao Felix scored a consolation in the 89th minute, but it was another miserable night for the Londoners, who have lost eight of 10 games under interim manager Frank Lampard.
One concern for United was the first-half injury of Antony, who looked distressed as he left the field on a stretcher.
