### Man Utd Takes Early Lead as Chelsea Struggles to Find Their Footing

Manchester United struck first in a highly anticipated clash against Chelsea, thanks to an impressive finish from Harry Maguire. The game started brightly with both teams showing attacking intent, but Manchester United capitalized on their opportunities while Chelsea grappled with early jitters.

The tone was set within the first few minutes as Mason Mount's involvement was immediately felt, giving a peculiar nod to Joe Root with his first touch. Chelsea had a golden chance in the 5th minute when Palmer delivered a sublime through-pass to Madueke, whose close-range effort was thwarted, albeit the offside flag was up.

Despite a promising start, Chelsea soon found themselves in a patchy spell. Maguire's disallowed goal due to an offside in the 12th minute epitomized Chelsea’s fortune. The match turned awkwardly scrappy, with errors beginning to creep in on Chelsea's side; Enzo Fernandez and Sanchez both mislocated crucial passes, highlighting their nervousness.

Around the 20-minute mark, Dorgu and Mount combined well on the left flank, hinting at Chelsea’s ability to pose questions to the United defense. Unfortunately, Mount, despite finding himself in shooting position, slipped during execution, leading to a missed opportunity that was met with roars of laughter from the home crowd.

Manchester United, however, remained more settled in their approach. Fernandes orchestrated from the midfield superbly, delivering a precise ball into the box from the left-wing that Maguire latched onto and dispatched past Sanchez, putting United ahead. However, a VAR check confirmed a marginal offside, denying them the goal.

As play continued, Fernandes remained pivotal in creating chances for United. Dorgu won the game’s first corner, and despite Fernandes's dangerous inswinger being cleared at the near post, United continued to apply pressure, benefiting from Chelsea’s disarray.

Chelsea's lineup had Sanchez, James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo, Neto, Palmer, Madueke, and George working mostly in a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Manchester United fielded Onana, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu, Amad, Mount, and Hojlund in a 3-4-2-1 setup.

As the half progressed without any significant breakthroughs, both teams retreated to reassess their strategies. With Chelsea desperate for a goal to alter the mood and United looking to build on their narrow lead, the second half promised a thrilling continuation of this energetic contest.