Manchester United Players Taunt Ex-Teammate Alejandro Garnacho After Vital Win at Chelsea

Alejandro Garnacho received a frosty reception from his former Manchester United colleagues following Chelsea's 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, with Luke Shaw leading the taunts on social media.

The reunion on Saturday was a tense affair, coming just days after Garnacho admitted to doing "bad things" before his £40 million transfer to the Blues last summer. The Argentine winger's departure from Old Trafford was marked by a public falling-out with then-manager Ruben Amorim.

Garnacho had previously expressed frustration at being used only as a late substitute during United's Europa League final loss to Tottenham. The situation was further inflamed when his brother, Roberto, criticised the manager on social media for throwing the player "under the bus."

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Before his exit, Garnacho also posted a picture of himself in an Aston Villa shirt bearing the name of Marcus Rashford, another United player who had fallen out of favour with Amorim.

While no United player has publicly condemned Garnacho's past actions, their behaviour after the final whistle spoke volumes. Fan footage captured the 21-year-old waiting on the pitch as the United squad headed for the tunnel, with no player stopping to acknowledge him.

The cold shoulder continued online. Veteran defender Luke Shaw posted a photo on Instagram showing him tackling Garnacho, accompanied by the simple caption, "important win."

The post quickly drew reactions from teammates and fans. United captain Bruno Fernandes commented with a GIF that read, "That's a violation," while former teammate Alex Telles, who left last summer, responded with fire and heart emojis.

Speaking to Premier League Productions before the match, Garnacho expressed some regret over how his time at United ended.

"Maybe yes, because I loved that club," he said as quoted by Dailymail. "They gave me the confidence from the start... it was like four or five years, and amazing love from everyone, from the fans, the stadium, everything was really good. It's just sometimes you have to change for the good of your life or the next steps. I only have good memories of Man United."

The winger's relationship with Amorim soured after a brief period of resurgence. Despite the manager praising Garnacho's efforts to win back his place, the Argentine eventually found himself back on the bench, a key factor in his decision to leave.

"I remember in the last six months I was just not playing like before at Manchester United," Garnacho explained. "I started to be on the bench... in my mind it was like I had to play every game. In my mind, maybe it is also on me, I started to do some bad things. But yes, it was just this moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions."

Garnacho had a difficult outing on Saturday night. During the first half, the winger was unable to make a significant impact, failing to record a single shot, create a chance for his teammates, or successfully dribble past an opponent. He also struggled in physical contests, losing most of his duels and giving away possession four times.

Garnacho's performance did not see a significant upturn in the second half, as his team ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.