The Belgian midfielder was instrumental in Saturday's win, offering composure and quality in the centre of the pitch as the Blues improved after the interval to secure all three points.

Lavia also helped create our opening goal, winning the ball back and feeding Morgan Rogers, who surged forward and lifted a fine finish over United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

And Palmer, who later doubled our advantage from the penalty spot, reserved special praise for his team-mate after the final whistle.

'Today was one of the best games I've seen him play,' said Palmer. 'I've said all along he's one of my favourite midfielders, and people still don't realise how good he is.

'Obviously he's had his injury problems, but he's trying to put that behind him now and put in performances like today. I thought he was the best player on the pitch.'

Lavia's display was particularly encouraging given the injury setbacks which have interrupted his Chelsea career, with the 22-year-old now looking to build momentum through consistent performances.

While it was a memorable afternoon for Lavia, the Blues had to work hard for the result. United created openings before the break, but our second-half response proved decisive.

After Rogers opened the scoring, Palmer made it 2-0 from the spot following Lisandro Martinez's dismissal, and the Blues saw out the match to earn an important clean sheet.

Reflecting on the team's performance, Palmer said: 'It was a tough first half, but I think second half we stepped up and I'm happy with the three points.

'Certainly [in the second half] we were less sloppy with the chances they were getting from us losing the ball. So we just played harder and created our chances.'