On August 16, 2025, the first round of the 2025-2026 English Premier League season officially began.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United welcomed their first opponent of the new season.
Chelsea!
Chelsea, with Mbappé!
After Chelsea acquired Mbappé, they sold many players to comply with financial fair play policies.
Michael Carrick did not miss the opportunity.
Before this match, Manchester United had been active in the transfer market.
Mason Mount joined Manchester United for 60 million euros.
Veteran Nicolas Tagliafico joined on a free transfer, adding depth to the left-back position.
N'Golo Kante, who was playing in Saudi Arabia, joined Manchester United on a free transfer, eager to fight for glory again at the end of his career.
In this match, the new signings were on the bench, and Manchester United fielded a more cohesive starting lineup.
Formation: 4-2-3-1,
Goalkeeper: Nübel,
Defense: Alejandro Balde, Lisandro Martínez, Pau Torres, Vanderson,
Midfield: Rice, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes,
Forwards: Rashford, Gao Nuo, Antony.
“Hello, dear viewers. For the new Premier League season, Zhan Jun and Zhang will continue to provide commentary.”
“The first League match, Manchester United against Chelsea, is full of talking points.”
“Ah, that’s right, this is Mbappé’s first Premier League match, and it’s also Manchester United’s new manager Carrick’s first official match in charge.”
“Please, Zhang, analyze who will win the opening match of the new season?”
“Ah, first, let’s talk about Chelsea. Buying Mbappé was a seismic transfer, but Chelsea also paid a significant price. After continuously selling players, their current bench depth has some issues.”
“Ah, then, let’s talk about Manchester United. The ability of new manager Carrick remains to be seen, and regarding squad reinforcement, the midfield has many good players, so how to combine them is also a considerable challenge.”
“Yes, whether new signings Mount and Bruno can coexist is an urgent problem for Manchester United to solve.”
“The entrance ceremony has concluded. Let’s turn our attention back to the match. Gao Nuo stands over the ball, waiting for the kickoff. We hope our Chinese star will have an excellent performance today.”
As the match was about to begin, fans who had been waiting for two and a half months were like hungry wolves in the comment section.
“Finally, I can watch football again! The first match is so exciting, it’s awesome.”
“Gao Nuo, I love you, I want to have your babies.”
“I wonder if Mbappé can adapt to the Premier League. Is Chelsea about to turn things around?”
“Arsenal fans put on their pain masks. Didn’t Mbappé say he was coming?”
“Chelsea fans didn’t get Gao Nuo, but they got Mbappé. I wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse.”
“Is it a bit too early to compare Gao Nuo with Mbappé now?”
“Gao Nuo has the Champions League, does Mbappé?”
“Mbappé has the World Cup, does Gao Nuo?”
“You’re just arguing. Are you expecting Gao Nuo to play against 21 people by himself?”
“What’s all the fuss about? It’s just a League match. As long as it’s good to watch, winning or losing isn’t important.”
In the 2nd minute of the match, Manchester United, who had not yet found their rhythm, were caught off guard by their opponent.
Casemiro sent a long pass to Antony on the right wing.
Ben Chilwell made a precise tackle, followed by a long pass forward.
Chelsea counter-attacked.
Sterling received the ball and sprinted forward with it, dribbling past Vanderson’s interference, then slotted the ball diagonally into the box.
Kylian Mbappé!
He surged forward with great speed. Lisandro Martínez tried to block him with his body, but Mbappé skillfully bypassed him.
Pau Torres’s speed was also overwhelmed. He reached out and pulled, briefly slowing down his opponent before letting go.
Seeing Mbappé still running towards the ball, the Referee lowered his whistle, which he had just raised, and the game continued.
30 meters from the goal, Mbappé caught up to the ball, creating a one-on-one situation.
Nübel dared not rush out. He was facing a world-class striker and could only lower his center of gravity, staring intently at the ball.
Manchester United’s two center-backs were still chasing back.
Mbappé dribbled to the edge of the penalty area, not delaying the opportunity. He looked up at the goalkeeper’s position and unleashed a powerful shot.
“Left side!”
Nübel made his judgment, pushed off forcefully with his feet, leaped sideways, and dived towards the right side of the goal.
Mbappé’s shot had power and a tricky angle, flying towards the top right corner of the goal.
Nübel’s reaction was very quick, but his fingertips were still just a bit short of the ball.
Goal!
Kylian Mbappé scored an early goal!
Chelsea led Manchester United 1-0.
At Old Trafford, a small section of away fans cheered as Mbappé scored a goal in the second minute of the Premier League match.
Once again proving his worth.
Manchester United fans sighed in disappointment, while Michael Carrick on the sidelines remained expressionless.
Such a goal was not the fault of any single Manchester United player.
Objectively speaking, scoring with such outstanding individual ability is a characteristic of every world-class striker.
And it is the reason for their high salaries.
Carrick stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping towards Gao Nuo on the field.
“I wonder if this kid can also deliver such a goal. There’s a five-year age difference, but does anyone really dare to underestimate him?”
Watching the celebration in the live stream, the comments section started to chatter.
“Mbappé’s speed, not many Premier League defenders can keep up.”
“It was a bit sudden; otherwise, Manchester United’s defense wouldn’t have been so easily breached.”
“I’m not saying anything, but why is Vanderson getting worse and worse?”
“Manchester United refuses to buy defenders, it’s a headache.”
“Where are there any good defenders now? It’s hard for Manchester United to buy them.”
“Woah, look at Gao Nuo’s eyes, he’s going for a head-on confrontation with Mbappé!”
The director gave Gao Nuo a close-up shot.
Gao Nuo’s eyes were like torches, staring at Kepa in Chelsea’s goal, his fighting spirit palpable.
Trailing early, Manchester United did not panic. They first stabilized their defense and then slowly launched their attack.
In the 12th minute of the match, Bruno Fernandes took a corner kick.
Pau Torres at the near post won the header, and his flick-on shot hit Fofana’s head.
The ball was deflected, flying towards the far post. Kepa’s attempted save missed, and he anxiously looked back at Reece James in front of the goal.
At the right post, Reece James and Gao Nuo jumped simultaneously. With a double disadvantage in height and leap, Reece James had no chance of clearing the ball.
Gao Nuo headed the ball into the net, but before he could even receive the cheers from the home fans,
The Referee’s whistle blew, and the linesman raised the offside flag. Goal disallowed!
Facing the surrounding Manchester United players, the Referee signaled for them to calm down.
At the VAR’s prompt, he ran to the sideline to verify the accuracy of the decision.
The live stream comments exploded first.
“How is that offside? Isn’t Reece James a player?”
“Exactly, what kind of Referee is this?”
“Are the people upstairs blind to football? This ball needs to be judged by Gao Nuo’s and Kepa’s positions.”
“What do you mean, blind to football? Gao Nuo has a defender in front of him, how can he be offside?”
“I can’t explain it to you guys, just wait and see the result!”