Casemiro couldn’t disguise his joy when Manchester United earned a late point at Stamford Bridge.
The summer transfer from Real Madrid scored his first goal for Manchester United in injury time, looping a stunning header over Kepa Arrizabalaga to tie the game at 1-1.
After scoring in front of the travelling United fans, the Brazilian midfielder could be seen shouting in joy in front of the crowd, demonstrating how much the equaliser meant to him and the club.
The goal surely saved a point, with the home team looking certain to win after a Jorginho penalty.
A foul by substitute Scott McTominay set up the Italian midfielder to score from the spot, which he executed with his signature hop, skip, and jump.
Jorginho has scored 19 penalties since joining the club at the start of the 2018/19 season, more than any other player in the Premier League.
Casemiro, on the other hand, utilised every ounce of his experience to salvage the game for United, and boy, did he enjoy it.
It appeared to be a sucker punch for United, who had been the superior side throughout, forcing Kepa Arrizabalaga into a run of excellent stops, while David de Gea had nothing to face until Jorginho’s penalty, Chelsea’s first attempt on target.
But Casemiro refused to give up, despite the fact that his header deep in stoppage time was harsh on Kepa, who could only flick the ball onto the inside of the far post and over the line by the tiniest of margins.
Nonetheless, United deserved a share of the spoils against Chelsea, who squandered a chance to tie Tottenham for third place. This was their second consecutive tie, and despite Graham Potter’s five wins in his eight games in command, the Blues still lack a goal threat.
Kepa was significantly more busy than his countryman De Gea, who had nothing noteworthy to save for much of the game.
Chelsea played like an away team, soaking up pressure and trying to hit United on the break, but they failed to convert their half-chances. In a disappointing first half for the Blues, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returned to the starting lineup but failed to control the ball in front of the goal twice.
Graham Potter adjusted tactics and substituted Marc Cucurella in the 36th minute as his team was overrun in midfield.
Nonetheless, Manchester United had more shots on goal, and Kepa kept Chelsea in the game. Erik Ten Hag replaced Fred for Jadon Sancho, and the Brazilian missed from long range. Raphael Varane had left the pitch in tears by that point, having pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury that could rule him out of next month’s World Cup.
However, it did not survive long. Casemiro’s header was met by a deep swinging cross from Shaw out on the left. United’s players and fans in the Shed End at Stamford Bridge erupted in wild celebrations. They finished with a point and are now only a point behind the Londoners in fifth place.
Twitter Reactions on Casemiro
For Casemiro, it was an experience he will never forget. It was a magnificent header that guaranteed United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League extended to four games.
United fans expressed their admiration for Casemiro, as evidenced by the words reflected in the tweets above. He has quickly become a fan favourite at Old Trafford, and his first goal for the club has only added to his popularity.
