Casemiro had been the outstanding performer of a game that appeared to have been snatched away from his Manchester United team. A smooth and commanding presence at the back of the midfield, he provided the platform for the visitors to dominate the first half.
And when Chelsea rocked them with a late Jorginho penalty after a lengthy period of second-half drift, it was Casemiro who refused to accept it would be one of those hard luck stories. David de Gea had not been required to make a save for United before he fished the penalty out of his net.