Alejandro Garnacho, former Manchester United forward, struggled in his first match for Chelsea against his old team. After a fallout with coach Ruben Amorim, he left United and has faced criticism for his performance.
Key points
Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United for Chelsea.
He had a fallout with former coach Ruben Amorim.
Garnacho was an unused substitute in his first match against United.
He replaced an injured player in the 17th minute at Stamford Bridge.
Alejandro Garnacho: Paul Robinson hands brutal verdict on ex-United star
Alejandro Garnacho: Paul Robinson hands brutal verdict on ex-United star
Former Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho hardly made an impression in his first appearance against the Red Devils this weekend. The Argentine left Old Trafford last summer to join Chelsea on a permanent deal after a reported fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim.
Garnacho initially arrived at Carrington from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 before earning a promotion to the senior side under former manager Erik ten Hag. Once regarded as the rising star of the academy, the Red Devils ultimately ran out of patience with the 21 year oldās continued tryst with controversies and moved him on.
Garnacho was an unused substitute when the Blues visited Old Trafford in September and lost 2-1. The Argentine was called into action at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, replacing the injured Estevao in the 17th minute.
Garnacho has endured a difficult time since joining Chelsea, with off-field issues once again making headlines. United, meanwhile, had no trouble dealing with their former academy graduate, and went on to pick up a hard-fought 1-0 win courtesy of a Matheus Cunha goal.
Garnachoās season so far
Garnacho was one of Unitedās key players last season, but INEOS opted to let him go at the end of the campaign as part of an attacking revamp. That decision already looks like a wise one, with the Red Devilsā new-look frontline powering them to third in the Premier League table.
Q&A
What did Paul Robinson say about Alejandro Garnacho's performance?
Paul Robinson delivered a harsh critique of Alejandro Garnacho's performance during his first match for Chelsea.
Why did Alejandro Garnacho leave Manchester United?
Garnacho left Manchester United after a reported fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim.
How did Garnacho perform in his first match for Chelsea against Manchester United?
In his first match for Chelsea against Manchester United, Garnacho was an unused substitute and later replaced an injured player but failed to make a significant impact.
What was Alejandro Garnacho's background before joining Chelsea?
Before joining Chelsea, Garnacho was a rising star in Manchester United's academy, having arrived from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
Related Articles
Sports
Jamari Johnson entering 2026 with āsomething to proveā as Oregonās TE1
Jamari Johnson is ready to prove himself as Oregon's TE1 in 2026!
Yahoo SportsĀ·Ā·1 min read
Sports
Will Joel Embiid Play in 2026 NBA Playoffs? Latest Injury Updates for Celtics vs. 76ers Series
Yahoo SportsĀ·
Sports
Jackie Robinson Day Is Celebrated In Los Angeles And Across The League
Yahoo SportsĀ·
Sports
Laureus Sport for good saca la sonrisa de decenas de niƱos en Madrid
MarcaĀ·
Sports
La venta de Swedberg o Miguel RomĆ”n podrĆa equilibrar las cuentas del Celta
MarcaĀ·
CricketĀ·Preview
IPL 2026: Will LSG skipper Rishabh Pant play against Punjab Kings today?
Rishabh Pant is confirmed fit to play for LSG against PBKS today in IPL 2026.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
The Argentine, meanwhile, has been in and out of the starting XI, first under Enzo Maresca and now under Liam Rosenior. Garnacho has registered eight goals and four assists in 39 appearances across all competitions this season, 21 of which have been starts.
On Wednesday, Diogo Dalot effectively dealt with Garnacho, who did very little of note. Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson reckons the Argentine has already proven United right.
United praised for offloading Garnacho
Asked what impression Garnacho had made against his former team, Robinson told Stadium Astro: āThat heās not good enough to be a regular starter for Chelsea and Manchester United may have done some good business.ā
āI think the season that he left Manchester United, I was surprised that they let him go because you look at his stats that season at Manchester United, he was their most creative player. You look at the goals he scored, the assists that he got, but somebody saw something at Manchester United that we saw tonight.ā
āHe was supposed to be a game changer off the bench, obviously not that early on in the game, but for me, he runs down dead ends too many times. He gets the ball and immediately his headās down and heās gone. Heās very, very one-dimensional in the way that he attacks. Yes, heās an attacking threat, but heās quite easy to defend against.ā
Too predictable
Robinson insisted that full-backs have no trouble dealing with the Argentine as he is too predictable, adding: āAs a full-back, surely youād like to defend against him because heās quite predictable. It can be taught and thatās what good coach coaches do if youāre willing to listen.ā
āItās like anything in life, if you keep doing the same thing and itās not working, what do you do? You change it. He kept doing the same thing tonight and he didnāt change it. It was either a blind run at his full-back, which was so predictable, or he turns, rotates, and keeps possession into the middle of the field.ā
United were without four first-team central defenders against Chelsea, with Ayden Heaven starting alongside Noussair Mazraoui in a makeshift centre-back pairing. However, the visitors defended well and even managed to pick up a clean sheet, highlighting the Bluesā lack of attacking impetus.
Final Thoughts
United have been vindicated in their decision to offload Garnacho, whose situation will be of little interest to fans. The Red Devils, meanwhile, have done the double over Chelsea this season, and have stepped closer to securing Champions League football for next campaign.
