Casemiro came up big to salvage a point for Manchester United at Chelsea, with Cristiano Ronaldo watching on from home after his midweek petulance.
Casemiro was the unlikely hero for a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Manchester United at Stamford Bridge after crashing home a stoppage-time equaliser for the Red Devils.
The Brazil international scored his first goal for his new club in a 1-1 draw that keeps Erik ten Hag's side a point behind the Blues in the Premier League table.
It could have been worse for the visitors who went 1-0 down in the 87th minute when Jorginho scored from the penalty spot after substitute Scott McTominay had clumsily fouled Armando Broja.
There was no Ronaldo to rescue United this time, with the forward dropped from the squad, so instead it was left to his former Real Madrid team-mate to save the day with a looping header that even an in-form Kepa couldn't keep out.
Getty ImagesWINNER & LOSER: Cristiano Ronaldo
Erik ten Hag's decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo for Man Utd's trip to Chelsea overshadowed the build-up to the game and the Portugal international may well be left with mixed feelings after the 1-1 draw.
Ronaldo could easily have been winner from the draw as United looked toothless in attack, and needed a header from Casemiro to level the scores deep into stoppage time.
A somewhat wasteful Marcus Rashford was twice denied by Kepa, while Antony should've done better when he was through on goal and that was about as good as it got for the visitors. Indeed, it's no secret that Ten Hag's team would've benefitted greatly from a striker with 700 club career goals to his name. As the Dutchman has now said on more than one occasion – they DO need Ronaldo, and he probably afforded himself a wry smile as he watched on from home, seeing his team-mates toiling in front of goal without him.
But let's not forget that Ronaldo also needs United.
Indeed, consigned to the bench and absent from the squad entirely tonight, the Red Devils have looked better without him in the line-up.
His petulance that saw him refuse to come on as a sub against Tottenham benefitted nobody, and certainly not Ronaldo.
That selfishness meant he couldn't play hero at Stamford Bridge this time, that was Casemiro's job. It's time for some deep self-reflection, time to pull his socks up and work hard to get back in favour. Who knows what happens next if he doesn't.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho put in another underwhelming performance for United and only lasted 51 minutes at Stamford Bridge.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger continues to look out of sorts and offered zero threat in his time on the pitch. He was wasteful, careless in possession and part of a United attack that rarely looked like scoring despite dominating much of the first half.
Ten Hag opted to change his team shortly after the break and it was no surprise at all to see Sancho’s number come up and the winger head off to be replaced by Fred.
Sancho only has eight goals in 52 games in all competitions in a red shirt so far, a disappointing return for a player who cost £73m, and the fact he continues to struggle in his second season at Old Trafford is a real worry.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Casemiro
United looked to be heading for a fourth defeat in 11 Premier League games until Casemiro popped up with a dramatic and heroic 94th minute header to snatch a deserved point.
The Brazil international was off balance but still managed to climb highest and loop an incredible, Ronaldo-esque header past Kepa from a delicious Luke Shaw cross.
It's a first United goal for Casemiro and the mighty roar he let out while celebrating his maiden effort for the Red Devils showed exactly what it meant to the 30-year-old.
The Brazilian has had to be patient following his summer move from Real Madrid but is steadily becoming an integral part of Ten Hag's team and his goal crowned another impressive showing.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Raphael Varane
Football can be a cruel game and Raphael Varane will certainly be feeling that way after sustaining an injury that forced him off early in the second half and may end up keeping him out of the World Cup.
The centre-back was enjoying another silky smooth performance for United before disaster struck when he caught his studs in the turf and went down in agony.
Varane's emotional reaction, and the way his team-mates tried to console him, suggested it was a serious one that will keep him out for a while and is likely to end his World Cup dream.
It also signifies a significant blow for United.
The Red Devils have kept five clean sheets in seven games with Varane and Lisandro Martinez as the two centre-backs but now face losing the Frenchman for a significant spell.