THE entire Manchester United team were slammed as “asleep” when Cole Palmer scored his dramatic last-gasp winner.
The boyhood Red Devils fan equalised for 3-3 from the penalty spot in the 100th minute at Stamford Bridge.
Then 82 seconds later, he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, letting fly with a speculative effort from a short corner that deflected off Scott McTominay and into the back of the net.
It sparked scenes of utter jubilation among the home players, staff and fans.
But it left everyone connected with Manchester United totally shellshocked.
And plenty of fans let rip at the crumbling flops for switching off before the latest winner in Premier League history.
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Enzo Fernandez passed the 101st-minute corner short with Palmer collecting in acres of space in the corner of the box.
There was no man in red within ten yards.
Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount were both spotted pointing at Palmer before the kick but did not take responsibility to deal with him themselves.
Then Kobbie Mainoo had his hands on hips while Marcus Rashford was facing the wrong way.
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Ex-Chelsea academy man Mount did run across to try and close Palmer down but it was too little, too late as the ex-City star got his shot away with devastating consequences.
McTominay leaned into the path of the ball but could only knock it beyond Andre Onana while the rest of the team stood around helplessly.
Former Red Devils centre-back Rio Ferdinand blasted on TNT: “Palmer shouldn’t be able to get there and turn if you’re concentrating, if you’re professional.
“You can’t afford to have those moments.”
“That tells you concentration is a problem, an issue.”
And it also prompted a series of furious comments from supporters on X.
One said: “Falling asleep from a corner. Yeah get in the bin. Threw this game away like that. Unforgivable!!!!”
Another wrote: “And that Chelsea winner sums it up. Corner to the edge of the area to Chelsea’s biggest danger, United completely asleep as an entire team. Embarrassing.”
A third added: “Half the team pointing at Palmer and nobody going to him is very funny.”
A fourth raged: “Seasoned pros don’t defend a corner. Shocking absolutely shocking.”
‘MADNESS AND IRRESPONSIBLE’
A fifth moaned: “I’m not being funny but who is organising the defence for that corner? Onana, Maguire it’s on the GK and CB to ensure you don’t get done by a simple short corner!”
And a final fan simply fumed: “The marking for short corner, madness and irresponsible.”
The spectacular collapse all unfolded in front of new United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe who was in the posh seats in West London.
Antony and Alejandro Garnacho, though, did themselves no harm with their performances at the other end of the pitch.
The former put in one of his best performances for the club – including a superb outside-of-the-boot cross for Garnacho to head in for his second of the night to make it 3-2.
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Mainoo also received praise early on for ‘bullying’ Fernandez to the floor.
But it was the Argentine World Cup winner who had the last laugh, sliding in celebration in front of the dugouts after Palmer’s magic moment right at the end.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
