It was yet another disappointing outing for Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United, as their challenging campaign took another downward turn with a defeat at Stamford Bridge.

The Red Devils now find themselves languishing in 16th position in the Premier League table. Only Tottenham Hotspur, who also suffered a loss on Friday, stand between them and the relegation zone.

The much-anticipated encounter between United and Chelsea was far from a classic, only sparking into life during a five-minute spell shortly after the hour mark.

Chelsea were initially awarded a penalty by referee Chris Kavanagh, only for the decision to be overturned by VAR. Moments later, Marc Cucurella rose to meet a cross and powered a header into the back of the net. The Blues had a golden opportunity to double their lead shortly after, but Noni Madueke squandered the chance, firing wide.

Nevertheless, the solitary goal proved sufficient for Chelsea, who climbed into the Premier League’s top four with the result — leapfrogging Manchester City, who still have a game in hand.

Manchester United, meanwhile, must quickly shift their focus to the upcoming UEFA Europa League final. However, this latest defeat hardly serves as ideal preparation for the high-stakes clash.

One minor consolation for United is that their Europa League opponents, Tottenham Hotspur, are also heading to Bilbao on the back of a defeat.

Speaking after Spurs’ 2–0 loss to Aston Villa, manager Ange Postecoglou provided an update on the fitness of key players:

“Pape Sarr felt something in his back, so we took him off as a precaution. It’s nothing too significant, and Mikey was fine — just a bit fatigued.

“Son [Heung-min] is ready and available. They’re all ready to start. Tonight was important for him and he feels like he’s regaining some rhythm.

“I thought up until they scored, the lads worked hard — they were disciplined and organised. We didn’t allow them many clear chances. We had our own moments going forward, but once they scored, we seemed to lose a bit of belief.

“Many of the players haven’t featured regularly, and it showed — we looked fatigued, and the game slipped away from us.”