Jamie Jackson’s match report has landed, which is my cue to go and see if England can win a cricket match. Thanks for your company and correspondence, and apologies for not getting through all the emails. United have finally beaten a team in the top half of the table. They stay at home this weekend to face Bournemouth, who are in fine form, while Chelsea return to the north-west to play Everton. For now, Man United’s crisis is ebbing rather than flowing, thanks to a midfielder who is outgunning the strikers. “This league is very strong,” Ten Hag goes on. “When you are not [on] top [form], like us on Saturday, you get killed.” “I admire the player,” says Ten Hag about McTominay, diplomatically ignoring the fact that he tried to sell him in the summer. “He came many times in good positions.” Here’s Erik ten Hag. “This is a good dressing-room,” he insists. “Garnacho’s inswinging assist,” says Colum Fordham, “was reminiscent of Kvaratskhelia’s beautiful crosses for Napoli.” I wonder if United are thinking of buying him. Or Chelsea. On expected goals, according to Sofascore, it should have been 4-1. It felt more like a 5-2. This was a game of 40 shots. Or 41, depending on whose stats you turn to – 27 or 28 from United, 13 from Chelsea. You can’t blame anyone for losing count. “You’re United’s top scorer,” Scott McTominay is asked, “how did that happen?” He pauses, slightly taken aback, and then laughs and says he could have had more than two if he’d calmed down. He seems like such a good bloke. “Bad as they have been, United are only three points behind City after 15 matches,” says Patrick Crumlish. “And City six points off the top!” “Eating my words!!!!” says Eric Anderson, sportingly. See 21:21. So United are back in the top six, for now. Thanks to Scott McTominay, their marksman in chief, they now have 27 points from 15 games – nine wins, six defeats, still no draws – although Newcastle may well overtake them tomorrow when they play at Everton. The big news of the night is that Man City have lost at Villa Park, so they plummet to fourth. Villa are third, two points above City and two below Liverpool, who are two below Arsenal. What price Pep Guardiola in the sack race? United’s players change hugs and smiles. They were much the better team on the night, though for a while in mid-match they definitely thought about blowing it. FULL TIME! Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea Relief for Erik ten Hag! 90+5 min Corner to Chelsea! 90+3 min Correction! In fact two. It was the post, not Onana, that repelled Broja’s effort – which seems to have been off the shoulder, like a dress. 90+2 min Time for one of Ten Hag’s defensive subs. On comes Jonny Evans, aged 35, in place of Alejandro Garnacho, aged 19. Garnacho was very good in parts, but also quite wasteful. 90 min There will be just four added minutes. What is this, 2022-23? 90 min Chance for Chelsea! Broja, with a point-blank header at the far post, well saved by Onana. 89 min Chelsea have a spell of possession, which culminates in a shot from James. It’s a blast, and not in a good way. 88 min Yes, it’s McTominay. Meanwhile Dalot gets a cross in but puts it too close to Sanchez and too far from the onrushing Rashford. Erik ten Hag takes a note. 87 min There’s a bit of messing about on the touchline, and then Ally McCoist has to name the player of the match. Surely McTominay. 85 min Another classy cross from Reece James finds Enzo Fernandez in the six-yard box, but he gets ahead of the ball and can only flick it. 82 min As Chelsea break through Sterling, Dalot gets a yellow card and gives away a free kick in a dangerous area. Fernandez’s shot is easily blocked, and then Rashford comes for a cameo – not on the left but up front, replacing Hojlund, who has now played 763 mins in the league without scoring. 81 min McTominay, by the way, has six goals this season and five in the last eight league games. 80 min A weak header by James allows United to string together an elegant move. Fernandes to Reguilon, Reguilon to Garnacho, who shoots wide. United have now had 27 shots. Their average this season, before today, was 14 per league match. 78 min Mudryk has gone off, replaced by Broja, so Chelsea are now going 4-4-2. 76 min Reece James whips in a cross so good that it could be by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but nobody is there to meet it. 74 min United go on the break and Garnacho is clean through, only to be well foiled by Sanchez. As it stands, Villa are third, just above City. “If Villa can maintain this form,” says Andy Flintoff, “then neither of these teams will be anywhere near fourth.” 72 min McTominay has a chance for a hat-trick! Sanchez passes out to Antony, who slips in McTominay. For once his touch lets him down and he scoops the ball wide. Meanwhile Man City have gone 1-0 down at Villa Park. 70 min Reguilon did well on the underlap, fiddling the ball out to Garnacho. His cross curled in and McTominay nodded it in at the far post, simple as you like … But hang on, the VAR is on the case, looking at a push by McTominay. The goal stands! GOAL!! United 2-1 Chelsea (McTominay 69) It’s that man AGAIN! 69 min A spell of United pressure ends with Antony shooting over the far corner. Raheem Sterling is about to come off… 67 min The commentators debate what’s the best these teams can hope for this season. Fourth, says one. As high as that, says the other. The camera, rather cruelly, homes in on Sir Alex Ferguson. 65 min A sweet move from United – Reguilon finding Antony who finds Garnacho. He can’t decide whether to cross or shoot and ends up doing both at once, or neither. 63 min Fernandes leaves Caicedo for dead and gets a shot in, which goes for yet another corner. McTominay gets his head to the ball, but can’t get enough purchase on it to trouble Sanchez. 61 min Shaw has a shot, hitting it well on the half-volley with his right foot, and United think it’s been blocked by a Chelsea arm. The VAR doesn’t agree, and fair enough – the defender hardly had time to get out of the way. 60 min As the hour mark looms, Garnacho pays homage to his mate Dalot by overhitting a cross. Meanwhile Marcus Rashford trots down the touchline for a warm-up. 59 min A Chelsea counter is curtailed by Reguilon, with a fine sliding tackle, much appreciated by the sort of fan who likes to tell the players to get in there. 57 min Caicedo manhandles Hojlund, giving away a free kick. Erik ten Hag’s body language seems to eb saying it should have been a booking. 55 min Shaw plays a loose ball forward, giving Palmer the chance to release James down the right. His cross is crisp but comes to nothing, and he may have been offside anyway. 53 min Instead of end to end, it’s now mid to mid. But then Dalot crosses to Garnacho… and he tries something acrobatic, which goes way over. “He should realise,” says a voice on the commentary, “he’s had his one for his lifetime.” 50 min There were a couple of substitutions at half-time: James for Cucurella, understandably, and region for Lindelof, so Shaw has shunted across to centre-back and Rashford, if he comes on, still won’t get his preferred wingman. 47 min Chelsea win a corner and Shaw kicks the ball away again, unpunished. That would have been a very stupid way to get sent off. From the corner, Jackson heads over the bar at close range. ”United just can’t hold onto a lead,” says Eric Anderson. “It’s kamikaze stuff… showing off, trying to get double hat-tricks. Now, watch, they’ll go in to meltdown and Chelsea will win 3-1.” Just as I type that, Gaby Logan says that Ten Hag’s United have won all the league games in which they’ve led at half-time. It’s Erik v Eric. Patrice Evra is on pundit duty. “I’ve nothing bad to say,” he beams. “Really happy.” He is wearing no socks, and says this is because he lives in Dubai.