A moment of madness from Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot sparked a staggering four-minute collapse as Cole Palmer’s hat-trick secured a famous 4-3 win over Chelsea.
United led 3-2 in the dying stages of second half stoppage time and looked on course for a vital win in their bid for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
However, a driving run into the box from Chelsea’s Noni Madueke forced Dalot into a clumsy error inside the box, giving Australian ref Jarred Gillett no choice but to award a penalty.
Although VAR took another look at the incident, they too were satisfied Gillett made the right call as United’s players looked on in despair.
Palmer, who had already dispatched a penalty in the 19th minute, stepped up once again and sent Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana the wrong way with the equaliser.
Dalot was once again the villain when he tried to take on too many Chelsea players from the kick off and lost possession high up the field, allowing the Blues to rapidly break on the counter and force a corner with barely any time remaining.
United were somehow caught asleep at the wheel as Chelsea took a short corner and passed it straight to Palmer, who moved to Stamford Bridge for $AUD76 million in the summer from Manchester City.
Palmer fired off a shot into a crowded path but it took a deflection off of Scott McTominay and past a helpless Onana into the back of the net, sparking wild scenes amongst the home fans.
The England international’s last-gasp strike secured his hat-trick but also left United with an almighty mountain to climb when it comes to Champions League qualification.
Football pundits were flabbergasted at United’s capitulation.
“I cannot believe what I’ve just seen,” commentator Andy Townsend said.
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