After humiliating Chelsea 4-1 on Thursday to clinch a spot in the Champions League for the next season, Erik ten Hag declared Manchester United to be back where they belong.
The Red Devils scored goals from Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, and Marcus Rashford as they climbed to third place in the Premier League.
Despite spending more than £500 million ($620 million) on transfers, Chelsea's season was unpleasant as they suffered their eighth loss in 10 games under temporary manager Frank Lampard.
In contrast, Ten Hag's first season as manager is successful when he also helped United break a six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup in February.
If United can stop Manchester City from winning the triple in the FA Cup final, more victories may be on the way next month.
But when Ten Hag took over after a catastrophic 2021/22 campaign in which United placed sixth, he set one of his main objectives as returning to Europe's top league the following season.
Although I believe the season to be good, the season is still ongoing, Ten Hag stated.
“This team deserves to be in the Champions League, but there are many clubs vying for this spot in this tough league.
“Getting into the Champions League is the season's key goal. Since there are many clubs with excellent squads and coaches, the competition is fierce, thus your efforts to qualify were successful. Although it is the maximum at the present, we desire more (for the next season).
Arriving from Real Madrid, Casemiro has been essential to United's comeback.
When matched up against a young Chelsea team, who were penalised for their ineffectiveness in both boxes, the 31-year-old's quality and experience stood out.
When you compare United's forceful style at the top of the field to us, it was yet another reality day, according to Lampard. “Chelsea's results this year are not good enough.”
When Mykhailo Mudryk missed a wonderful opportunity to score his first Chelsea goal after five minutes, the Ukrainian should have done so.
The visitors were down only 60 seconds later as Casemiro was given a clear header to convert in a Christian Eriksen free-kick.
The winger Antony's injury, which took him off the pitch on a stretcher and may put him in serious question for the FA Cup final in ten days, marred a successful night for United.
However, the home team ended the game as a contest in first-half stoppage time when Casemiro's no-look ball allowed Jadon Sancho to get behind the Chelsea defenders and set up Martial.
In the second half, Ten Hag's team could have scored more goals to round off a strong performance, but Fernandes hit the crossbar and Eriksen strangely missed turning in Tyrell Malacia's cross from close range.
After being fouled by Wesley Fofana, the Portuguese midfielder Fernandes did eventually score from the penalty spot.
More disastrous Rashford was given the opportunity by Chelsea's defence to become the first United player to achieve 30 goals in a season in ten years.
When Fofana's ball went astray, Fernandes pounced and set up the England international, who beat Kepa Arrizabalaga after two efforts.
The £10 million loan fee spent on Joao Felix in January for a few months with nothing left to play for sums up Chelsea's season as a waste.
The Portuguese international, though, provided a late consolation that prevented David de Gea from recording his 18th clean sheet of the year by racing forward and finishing low.
