Marcus Rashford scored his 30th goal of the season to help Manchester United qualify for the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
The Red Devils defeated Chelsea 4-1 in the 32nd round of the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL) at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, at 4 a.m. (ET) on Saturday. The three points lifted United to third place in the league with 72 points.
With a win, the Red Devils would have qualified for the UCL next season. Prior to the match, United had 69 points from 36 games, with fifth-placed Liverpool trailing with 66 points from 37 games. If United beat Chelsea, they would extend their lead over Liverpool to six points, regardless of the outcome of the final league game.
In response, United went all out. They lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Anthony Martial up front, supported by Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandez, and Anthony. Christian Eriksen and Casemiro formed the back three, with Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the back four. David de Gea was in goal.토토사이트
The first half started well. United opened the scoring in the sixth minute. From a free kick, Casemiro rattled the net with a neat header. A video assistant referee (VAR) review was conducted to determine if he was offside, but the goal was awarded. However, United were dealt an injury blow in the 26th minute. Anthony went down and was stretchered off the field.
Rashford was rushed onto the pitch. The unexpected setback didn’t faze the Red Devils. They quickly regrouped and added another goal just before half-time. In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Casemiro played a brilliant roving pass, which was met by Sancho, who immediately sent in a grounded cross for Marcial to slot home.
United continued to dominate the second half, and they extended their lead in the 28th minute. Bruno won a penalty and stepped up to take the spot kick, which rattled the net. A second goal soon followed. In the 34th minute, Bruno picked up the ball after a Chelsea defensive error. Bruno’s pass was met by Rashford, who finished.
It was Rashford’s 30th goal of the season. “Rashford became the first player to score 30 goals in a season since Robin van Persie in 2012-13,” said football statistics outlet Opta. Rashford also became the first player to score 20 goals in a season at home at Old Trafford since 2009-10.
United pulled one back in the second half through Joao Felix. However, the gap had already been widened and the game ended with a 4-1 victory. It was the first ’30-goal’ game in a decade, with the added bonus of qualifying for the UCL.