Sevilla mocks Chelsea over Old Trafford woes after United win

Chelsea slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday, extending their woeful record at Old Trafford. A nightmare start saw Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez sent off after five minutes for a professional foul, forcing Enzo Maresca to reorganize with an early double substitution. United moved in front through Bruno Fernandes, then Casemiro added a second before halftime before receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time. Chelsea clawed one back through Trevoh Chalobah after the interval, but could not complete the comeback.

Sevilla took the opportunity to mock Chelsea's record at Old Trafford, posting a graphic that highlighted their own more recent success at the stadium. 'Last away win at Old Trafford: Sevilla 2018, Chelsea 2013,' the club wrote, adding 'We don’t play in the Premier League.' Sevilla beat United 2-1 in the 2018 Champions League last-16 to eliminate them from the competition.

Chelsea’s record at Old Trafford has been stubbornly poor for more than a decade. In Premier League play since 2013, the Blues have drawn seven times and lost six at United’s fortress, a run that has persisted despite managers including Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino leading teams out at the stadium. Their last league victory at Old Trafford came in May 2013, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season, when Juan Mata scored the 87th-minute winner as Chelsea won 1-0 under Rafael Benitez. It is also 15 years since Chelsea scored more than once in a match at the ground. Mata remains the last Chelsea player to tally a winning goal there.

Chelsea’s six Premier League wins at Old Trafford are their fewest at any ground visited more than 10 times, a stat that stands out given United’s longer history of success there. The Blues’ winless run at Old Trafford is among the longest for current top-flight clubs, with only Brentford and Leeds United having to wait longer for a Premier League win in Manchester. The national narrative around United’s season has been one of inconsistency since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, with Friday’s result feeding into the broader storyline surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successors and the club’s on-field trajectory.

The outcome comes as Chelsea brace for a period of scrutiny around Maresca’s tenure, with the loss adding to a string of difficult results this season. United, meanwhile, collected three points that keep them in the mix for a mid-table recovery and provide a timely reminder that the club remains capable of grinding out results even when performances are uneven. As Sevilla’s post underscored, this particular fixture carries more weight than current form alone, given the storied history between the clubs and the long shadow Old Trafford casts over Chelsea’s recent visits.