It's been seven years since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led Manchester United to a 4-0 victory over Chelsea on the Premier League opening weekend at Old Trafford, a result that set their biggest win over the Blues in the 21st century.

That performance sold dreams to Manchester United fans, who had finished sixth in the previous league season and failed to win any of their final five games, which eventually cost them a place in the Champions League.

However, United added some significant players in the transfer window, including Harry Maguire, who became the most expensive defender of all-time at the time, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, to help fix a defence that conceded 54 league goals the previous season.

However, things started to taste stale as early as the second gameweek, and United would not win a league game until the fifth match, where they narrowly beat Leicester City 1-0 thanks to Marcus Rashford's early penalty.

Manchester United finished the season in third, three places better than they did in the previous season, but with the same points, and 33 behind champions Liverpool, who saw off second-place Manchester City with a remarkable 99 points.

But on a day that the club remembers a landmark result, we take a look at what happened to the 14 players who featured in the historic 4-0 thumping of Frank Lampard's Chelsea on an evening Old Trafford dared to dream again.

Where Are They Now? The 14 Man United Players From Their 4-0 Chelsea Win in 2019

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

The Spanish shot-stopper was outstanding on the evening, making seven saves to deny Chelsea all game and came away with a clean sheet, but he could only add 12 more in the Premier League that campaign.

David De Gea remained Man United's undisputed No.1 till his departure as a free agent in 2024, when he joined Fiorentina and made the Serie A Team of the Year in his debut season in Italy.

He made 192 more appearances for the Red Devils after the win over Chelsea, won the Premier League Player of the Month in January 2022 and finished the 2022-23 campaign with the league's Golden Glove, his second and final.

Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka 

On his debut after joining for £50 million from Crystal Palace earlier in the summer, Aaron Wan-Bissaka starred with a dominant defensive display, throwing in tackles and clearing dangerous balls — combined for 11 on both metrics.

He went on to make the United right-back position his own for the next five years, earning a reputation as one of the best one-on-one defenders, although his attacking contribution was a major concern throughout his stay.

The Congolese made a total of 190 appearances for the club, scored twice and registered 13 assists before joining West Ham United for £15 million in 2024, winning the club's Player of the Year award in his debut season to add to his place in the Europa League Squad of the Season in 2021.

Center-back: Viktor Lindelof

Viktor Lindelof was already a part of the Manchester United team in previous seasons, and he played his part very well in the win over Chelsea as he staked his claim to cement his spot in the starting XI with new competitions arriving.

He went on to feature regularly before the signing of Raphael Varane in 2021, which forced him to back up, although he benefitted from several injuries to his rivals and Harry Maguire's dip in form.

Lindelof made 214 more appearances for Manchester United after the famous victory over Chelsea, and was part of the squad that reached two Europa League finals, and won both Carabao and FA Cups before joining Aston Villa as a free agent in 2025.

Center-back: Harry Maguire 

Harry Maguire perhaps was the biggest positive of the day as Manchester United fans watched their marquee signing deliver a masterclass. The expectation was that he would fix their long-term defensive issues.

The £80 million signing from Leicester City went on to have a good debut season and got even better afterwards, but things soon turned sour, and his relationship with fans, coaches, and even teammates deteriorated.

Maguire went from captain to outcast, stripped of the captain armband and was almost sold to West Ham United for £30 million. Yet he remains at the club, and Michael Carrick cannot be faulted for placing hopes on him for the new season.

The England international has made 271 Manchester United appearances, and was part of their achievements since that time, which included two pieces of silverware and three final losses, excluding a Community Shield loss to their city risks, City.

Left-back: Luke Shaw 

Luke Shaw had been at Old Trafford for five years before the victory over Chelsea, and on that particular day, he gave Manchester United another taste of his brilliance that they've never really enjoyed consistently due to injuries.

The talent was always there for the Englishman, but injuries have affected his time, and it continued to be the case until 2025-26, when he featured and started all 38 Premier League games for the first time in a single campaign.

He remains a member of the squad, and has made 218 more appearances for the club since the win over Chelsea, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2020-21, winning Manchester United's Player of the Year award in the same campaign.

Defensive Midfielder: Scott McTominay

Scott McTominay helped contain Chelsea's pressure on the day with 10 recoveries, making a strong case for himself amid stern competition from Nemanja Matic. He would go on to make 19 more Premier League starts that season.

The Scottish international was never too far from criticism during his time at Manchester United since emerging from the club's Academy, but he made a total of 255 appearances between 2017 and 2024, and won the Carabao and FA Cup titles.

He found an unusual knack for scoring goals in his final seasons at Old Trafford, and finished with 29 goals for the club, including 10 on his final full season before he departed for Napoli, where he went on to win the Scudetto and was crowned the Serie A MVP.

Life has been really kind to McTominay since his Man United exit for £25.7 million. He is also a Supercoppa Italiana winner, and even received the Ballon d'Or nomination in 2025.

Central Midfielder: Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba set up the final two goals of the 4-0 win over Chelsea in Manchester United's Premier League curtain-raiser, but would add just one more for the remaining games of the season as serious injuries kept him out.

Just like his time at the club, ups and downs defined the rest of his stay before returning to Juventus as a free agent in 2022, having made 226 Man United appearances since his return for an £89 million transfer fee.

The Frenchman, who scored 39 goals and registered 47 assists for the Red Devils, has since battled with several injuries and doping controversies, the latter of which kept him out of action for 18 months.

He returned to action in early 2026 and is now under a short-term contract at AS Monaco in France.

Attacking Midfielder: Andreas Pereira 

Brazilian midfielder assisted the second goal that ultimately opened the floodgates in the 65th minute in what was a rare Premier League start as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to start Juan Mata from the bench.

Surprisingly, that performance earned Pereira a glorious run in the team, and he finished the campaign with 40 appearances, including 18 league starts, but his role soon diminished to cameos following the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in the winter.

It was also his final season at the club as he spent time on loan at Lazio and Flamengo, before leaving for Fulham in a permanent deal worth £10 million, and is now a player of Palmeiras having returned to Brazil in 2025.

Left-Winger: Marcus Rashford 

No one starred better than Marcus Rashford on the day. The Mancunian scored twice, including a penalty he won, to kick off a season that ultimately finished as the second-best scoring of his career so far.

Rashford finished the season with 17 Premier League goals and 30 goal contributions across all club competitions, both second to none at the club, but Manchester United ultimately fell short of the promise made on that day.

One of the greatest talents to emerge from the club's Academy, Marcus Rashford has spent time on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona as his relationship with managers got very uncomfortable, but he is back at the club ready for what to come in the coming days.

One of their best players since his debut, Rashford has made 426 Manchester United appearances, scored 138 goals, assisted 59 goals, and won four titles, including the Europa League title in 2017 under Jose Mourinho.

Striker: Anthony Martial

It was Anthony Martial's best season at Manchester United. The French attacker scored the second goal of the match and went on to add 22 more, making him the club's leading goalscorer across all competitions that season — 17 in the league is joint-most with Rashford.

However, what followed that was one of the biggest failures as he could only add 19 goals in 95 games across all competitions, excluding one in 12 games for Sevilla during a six-month loan move in 2022.

Martial ultimately left Man United as a free agent in 2024, bringing an end to a nine-year stint, but he only played one season before leaving for Monterey in Mexico to play another season. He is now a free agent at 30.

Right-Winger: Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard completed the most dribbles in the match, but that would be the final season where he would really be involved in things as a Manchester United player. He finished it with four goals and two assists in 40 appearances.

He spent the second half of the following season at West Ham United, where he was arguably the best Premier League player while it lasted, scoring nine goals and assisting four in 16 games for the Hammers.

He won the Premier League Player of the Month in April 2021, but couldn't replicate the form after returning to Old Trafford. Had a short loan stint at Nottingham Forest before joining FC Seoul for free in 2024, winning the club's Player of the Season.

He now plays for Corinthians in Brazil after 19 goals and 10 assists for the South Korean club.

Substitutes

It took the Welshman less than seven minutes into his Manchester United debut to score the goal that capped off the historic win, but Daniel James was quickly found out as not good enough for a club of such status.

The youngster scored nine goals and assisted 10 across two seasons before departing for Leeds United at a profit in 2021, and has remained with the Lilly Whites, although he spent a season on loan with Fulham.

Juan Mata 

Mata came on for the final four minutes against his former club, a cameo that well defined his Manchester United career at the time as it was coming to a close.

He left in 2022 to play for Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe, Western Sydney, and Melbourne Victory, where he played the 2025-26 season before announcing his retirement at the end of the campaign at 38.

Mason Greenwood 

An emerging talent from Manchester United's Academy at the time, fans will continue to ponder what could have been had he steered away from the controversy that labelled him and his career.

It was his first full season of first-team football, and the then 17-year-old quickly rose to a regular, and ended up scoring 35 goals and 10 assists in 129 games for the club, even featuring for the England National Team.

Unfortunately, a viral video of him assaulting his partner, Harriet Robson, emerged in January 2022, and he spent almost 20 months away from football before returning and joining Getafe on loan.

He returned at the end of the 2023-24 season but never played for United again, joined Olympic Marseille in France in a permanent deal, scored 48 goals and assisted 16 others in 81 appearances, before moving to Fenerbahçe in the summer of 2026.

Seven Years On, Where Did They All Go?

Seven years on, the 4-0 victory over Chelsea stands as a snapshot of a Manchester United era that promised far more than it ultimately delivered.

From De Gea and Rashford to McTominay and Greenwood, the 14 players who shared that famous Old Trafford night have taken remarkably different paths.

Some remain at United despite several heartbreaks, others, especially Scott McTominay, have found success elsewhere, while a few are still searching for their next chapter. 

What began as a night of renewed optimism eventually became a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in football, while Manchester United continues to chase the Premier League glory that has eluded them since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.