Over the last two decades, fixtures between Manchester United and Chelsea have been title-deciding affairs, but both clubs now find themselves with inconsistent form and languishing well below even the Champions League places.
It would be the home side that took all the spoils in this Wednesday evening clash, with the Red Devils looking the much better side throughout the match.
Chelsea are still searching for consistency in the 2023/24 season, but another lacklustre display will leave many Blues fans scratching their heads, wondering how their club will ever be at a stage to compete once again for the biggest trophies.
Here are the player ratings from this fixture.
Manchester United
Andre Onana - 6
A quiet evening for the Cameroonian, which will be a great relief given the recent performances of United's No. 24 - still no clean sheet, however, and some wayward passes at times.
Diogo Dalot - 7
Impressive performance from the fullback, playing in his more natural right-sided position following the return of Luke Shaw into the starting eleven - had some bright moments in the first half especially and kept Mudryk quiet. Booked.
Victor Lindelof - 6
Certainly United's weakest defender on the evening - was unable to deal with the speed of Chelsea's counterattacks and was hooked at halftime in place of Sergio Reguilon.
Harry Maguire - 7
November's recipient of the Premier League Player of the Month looked composed on the ball - like Lindelof, he did struggle in the first half with the pace of Chelsea's occasional counterattacks but always looked comfortable stepping up to beat the away team’s press.
Luke Shaw - 8
The Englishmen collaborated excellently with Garnacho down the left-hand side to orchestrate most of Manchester United's attacks - was moved to a centre half role for the second 45 but still looked assured - Ten Hag's team are a much better side with his presence. Booked.
Sofyan Amrabat - 7
An improved performance from the Moroccan, coming into the side in place of Kobbie Mainoo but his defensive capabilities are still in question but was a willing runner all night long.
Antony - 7
Played with a lot more spark and energy than his cameo appearance at St James Park and still has the chance to make the right wing spot his permanently if he can build on this performance moving forward - he does need to use his right foot more in attacking phases as can still be predictable at times.
Scott McTominay - 9*
A Man of the Match performance from the towering Scotsman, two goals and it could have easily been more. Becomes Man United's top scorer for the season and is becoming undroppable on current form.
Bruno Fernandes - 7
The creative spark in midfield throughout, although he had an uncharacteristically poor penalty in the first half that was comfortably saved by Sanchez.
For a player of such a tender age, Garnacho is certainly not fazed by the pressures of playing for a club of United's stature and has incredible confidence in his ability - assisted the eventual match-winning goal. Booked.
Rasmus Hojlund - 6
Had much more of a presence on the field than Antony Martial and drew the first save of the night but was less influential in the later stages - still raw but has high potential.
Substitutes
Sergio Reguilon - 7
Was effective as a half-time substitution as United channelled most of their build-up down his side. Did his job and did it well. Booked.
Marcus Rashford - N/A
Late sub that may be relegated to this role on a long-term basis given the performances of Garnacho in his favoured position.
Jonny Evans - N/A
Chelsea
Robert Sanchez - 7
A very mixed bag from Chelsea's keeper with some excellent saves including from a penalty, but his passing and decision-making at times is still very questionable. Having said that, without him, the scoreline would have been much worse for the Blues.
Marc Cucurella - 6
Out of position and lacked composure for most of the opening exchanges but did start to improve as the half went on, only to be subbed for Reece James at half-time - a peculiar tactical decision from start to finish from Mauricio Pochettino.
Axel Disasi - 5
Looked lackadaisical whenever on the ball and gave the ball away far too often on the edge of the box to put Chelsea under pressure. Did make the most completed passes for the away side but it highlights that Chelsea was having possession in the wrong areas.
Thiago Silva - 5
Playing week in and week out is finally taking its toll on the usually infallible Brazilian who is starting to show his age - Poch's persistence with Silva is harming him when Chelsea needs his experience most. Did his best but was unable to recover properly when drawn out by United's play.
Levi Colwill - 6
He started the game with the captain’s armband and although initially caught out by Antony, he grew into the game. Not his finest hour being beaten all too easily for McTominay to score his second.
Moises Caicedo - 7
The best of Chelsea's midfielders throughout the match and did the basics well but could not accommodate a shaky performance from his Argentine teammate in the engine room.
Enzo Fernandez - 5
A sloppy foul in the opening moments that led to a penalty, Enzo was not able to dictate the tempo of the game as he would have liked. Missed the pressing presence of Conor Gallagher in front of him.
Raheem Sterling - 4
Chelsea's star performer of the season (alongside Cole Palmer) had his worst game of the campaign at Old Trafford. Poor decision-making at vital times and an inability to combine with his fellow forwards was compounded by a blatant dive in the first half. A match where his experience would be vital for this young side, he flattered to deceive. Sterling's goal drought against the Red Devils goes on.
Cole Palmer - 7
Created and scored Chelsea's only goal of the game in excellent fashion, but overall did not have enough of an impact on the match in key areas.
Mykhaylo Mudryk - 5
Was mostly anonymous for the 75 minutes of play that was afforded to the Ukrainian, although did show flashes of his potential but was wasteful in good positions. Registered the assist for Palmer's goal but there weren't too many other positives to report.
Nicolas Jackson - 5
Always a willing participant in build-up play but was lacking in quality when it was needed most. Should benefit from further competition for the starting role with the return of Armando Broja.
Substitutes
Reece James - 6
In 45 minutes, Reece James' recent Chelsea history was pretty much summed up. Moments of brilliance going forward with his delivery into the box but a lack of match sharpness in defence with some sloppy mistakes. James is playing in a way to not over-exert himself for fear of an injury recurrence which is never a great way to be.
Armando Broja - 6
Looked lively and had more presence than most of Chelsea's attackers in his 15-minute cameo. Hit the post late on from a header at the back post.
