With one game remaining, United returned to the top of European football.
Manchester United raced to a decisive 4-1 victory over wasteful Chelsea to secure qualification for the Champions League for the upcoming season.
In a promising debut season that was destined to end with a top-four finish until a late stumble, the Dutchman has guided the Red Devils to Carabao Cup victory and next month's FA Cup fina
But Ten Hag has righted the ship and United secured a return to European football’s top table with a game to spare as Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored against toothless Chelsea.
This was a club record 16th defeat in a 38-match Premier League season for Frank Lampard’s Blues, who saw a bad early Mykhailo Mudryk miss punished by a sixth minute Casemiro header.
Additional Chelsea opportunities went unrealized throughout the evening, notably Conor Gallagher's missed opportunity in first-half stoppage time, which was followed by Martial's goal.
The victory was only tempered by Antony's stretcher exit and a late Joao Felix consolation. Bruno Fernandes' penalty and substitute Marcus Rashford's goal—his 30th of the season in all competitions—wrapped up the win.
When Christian Eriksen fired over a free kick from the left and Casemiro rose high to force a header past the statuesque Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ten Hag kept with the team that defeated Bournemouth.
After the VAR cleared the goal after looking for offside, the Brazil international punched the air. When Christian Eriksen fired over a free kick from the left and Casemiro rose high to force a header past the statuesque Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ten Hag kept with the team that defeated Bournemouth.
If Mudryk, one of Chelsea's three substitutions, had shown even the slightest amount of control two minutes sooner, the outcome may have been quite different.
The winger managed to turn wide after the promising left-back laid it on a platter for him, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka being pulled inside and Antony failing to follow Lewis Hall's run.
Play went from end to end, and when Eriksen put three teammates through against one defender, United had a wonderful opportunity to double their lead.
Because of Fernandes' deft move, Antony had a clear path to play in Martial, but the hesitant forward was intercepted by Cesar Azpilicueta.
But in the 73rd minute, any chance of a comeback was permanently dashed.
After being nutmegged by the Portuguese, Fofana caught Fernandes with a slack recovery challenge. Fernandes then stepped up to coolly convert in front of the Stretford End.
As United pushed for a fourth goal, which they would eventually score at the 79th, Rashford bended wide.
After Kepa's initial save only slowed the ball, Fernandes intercepted a sloppy Fofana pass and set up the returning forward to score into an empty net.
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