At the beginning of the game, the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo may have been the headline, but Casemiro saw to it that his late equaliser stole the spotlight.
In the game’s dying moments, the Manchester United Star connected with a cross. Despite Chelsea keeper Kepa’s best efforts, Casemiro’s looping header crossed the line.
VAR confirmed the goal, and the traveling fans erupted into celebration.
A long-time defender of new signing Casemiro, and former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand wasted no time showering praise for the Brazilian.
Ferdinand tweeted, “Where’s all the headlines saying Casemiro ain’t good enough for the Prem?”
Where’s all the headlines saying Casemiro ain’t good enough for the Prem 😂😂
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) October 22, 2022
This tweet echoed his sentiments that the Brazilian and Ronaldo were worthwhile investments for the season.
He also added a second tweet with Casemiro’s stats to emphasise his point.
And all you haters… it’s not just cos he scored a goal. Todays game 👇🏽
10 x possession won (most)
9 duels won (most)@Casemiro 👊🏽 https://t.co/B9f1yAQJSj— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) October 22, 2022
United will be disappointed that they didn’t capitalise on a promising start to the game.
Despite rescuing a point, they will feel hard done by a draw.
For large spells of the first half, United was the better team. The only criticism could be overplaying the ball in the final third.
Against the narrative of the night, Chelsea took the lead.
Substitute Scott McTominay gifted Chelsea a soft penalty, caught by VAR holding onto his man for a fraction too long in the box.
While breaking into the top four wasn’t to be, United will be ecstatic with their show of resilience.
Perhaps, the Manchester of old that doesn’t know when it’s beaten is making a return.