There was late, late drama at Stamford Bridge, as Casemiro scored a 95th-minute header to salvage a 1-1 draw for Manchester United against Chelsea.
Graham Potter and Erik ten Hag were locked in a tactical stalemate until United substitute Scott McTominay brought down Chelsea striker Armando Broja with four minutes of normal remaining. Jorginho dispatched the penalty in typically cool fashion and looked to have snatched all three points for the Blues.
But in the 95th minute, Casemiro emphatically met Luke Shaw's cross and beat the sprawling Kepa Arrizabalaga by millimetres to equalise after at the death. The main pre-match talking point was the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who'd been ruthlessly dropped by Ten Hag following his unwise decision to storm down the tunnel before full-time in midweek, and the sulking superstar was forced to watch the dramatic events unfold from home.
Here are six talking points from Stamford Bridge.
1. Potter's telling change
It feels like years since Manchester United last took the game to a top-level side away from home, but that was exactly what Erik ten Hag got his Red Devils doing at Stamford Bridge. Whether it be Lisandro Martinez's line-breaking passes or Casemiro's midfield bite, United utterly dominated the first 35 minutes and forced Graham Potter into a tactical change before half-time.
The Chelsea manager ruthlessly hooked Marc Cucurella, the only man in the Blues' squad whom he's coaches for more than six weeks, for Mateo Kovacic. Immediately the game changed, as United no longer had Chelsea pinned back in their own half, creating a string of half-chances which they failed to make more of.
2. Antony's one-footed woes
If you like your tactics, you'd have enjoyed most of the first half. If you're into end-to-end action, then you'd have needed to patiently wait until the 45th minute from the game to swing into gear. As Chelsea began to turn the screw, United found a breakaway when Martinez's proactive defending near the halfway line allowed Bruno Fernandes to slide Antony through on goal with Kepa Arrizabalaga haplessly scrambling out to close him down.
It looked for certain that the Brazilian winger would give the Red Devils on the brink of half-time, but instead he fired wide after taking the shot on his right foot. Antony's tendency to go on his preferred left peg has been a criticism of him since arriving from Ajax for £86million, but if he can't take those kind of chances with his weaker foot, then there's a evidently reason for his reluctancy.
3. Ten Hag's tactical reaction
After 15 minutes football since Potter's clever switch-up, Ten Hag reacted by making a substitution of his own. Chelsea had wrestled control of the midfield from United thanks to Kovacic's introduction, so the Red Devils boss hooked Jadon Sancho for Fred in order to combat the Blues' dominance.
Sancho had endured a frustrating afternoon, with his lack of intensity on and off the ball standing out compared to his colleague Antony, who'd been a much more aggressive presence on the right. And Fred certainly deserved to feature, with Ten Hag describing him as "magnificent" against Tottenham on Tuesday, but dropped him in place of Christian Eriksen anyway, having recovered from illness.
4. Varane's tearful exit
After such an impressive start to the campaign, marred by only one brief injury, Raphael Varane's World Cup hopes were thrust into doubt when he left the Stamford Bridge pitch in tears. The Frenchman, who won the tournament in 2018, landed awkwardly and forcefully as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang zipped past him on the left flank.
Varane stayed down in agony for the duration of the attack and he arose after treatment holding his shirt over his face, as he couldn't hold back the tears. Victor Lindelof came on in his place, but if the former Real Madrid stalwart's injury is serious, then both United and France could be in for a troubled winter.
5. McTominay's moment of madness
A mere six minutes after coming on as a substitute, Scott McTominay dumped United's chances of taking a point back to Manchester with a brainless pull of Armando Broja in the penalty area. The Chelsea striker had nipped away from McTominay at a corner, tempting the Scotland international to tug him down in desperation.
Referee Stuart Attwell had a simple decision, as Jorginho stepped up and coolly send David De Gea the wrong way. Much of Stamford Bridge was in jubilation, but the late drama wasn't done there.
Have your say! Who'll finish higher this season - Chelsea or Man Utd? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
6. Casemiro to the rescue
Although Jorginho's penalty served as a cruel blow to literally add insult to injury, the Red Devils rallied back and swipe a well-earned point from the Blues' clutches. After huffing and puffing in injury time, a frankly bonkers end saw Casemiro rise highest to meet Luke Shaw's cross and beat Kepa with a brilliantly-placed header.
The midfield general's goal ensured that United didn't go home empty-handed and extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to 10 league games. Goal-line technology was needed to show that Kepa hadn't indeed kept the ball out, as his fingertips could only push the ball onto the post and across the line, prompting wild celebrations in the away end - and from an impassioned Casemiro.
