Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League as Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored, while Lisandro Martínez was sent off in a second-half collapse that leaves head coach Michael Carrick‘s future in doubt.
Martínez was shown a second yellow card in the 63rd minute for raising an arm to the face of Wesley Fofana inside the United box, after a VAR check. He had been booked only three minutes earlier for fouling Rogers. Palmer converted the resulting penalty in the 64th minute to double Chelsea’s lead.
The defeat extends United’s winless run to nine games in all competitions, their longest since 1984. It also leaves the club a single point above the relegation zone.
Rogers strikes early in the second half
Rogers had already put Chelsea ahead in the 50th minute. He charged through Manchester United’s static defence and lifted a delicate finish over Senne Lammens to open the scoring at the start of the second half.
United had enjoyed the better of the first half but failed to take their chances. Bruno Fernandes, reinstated by Carrick after being dropped for criticising his tactics following the defeat to Como, missed the clearest opportunity when he fired over unmarked from Bryan Mbeumo’s centre. Amad Diallo was twice denied by Mike Penders as Chelsea struggled to contain United’s counter-attacks.
The visitors were punished for their wastefulness only five minutes after the interval. Fernandes had been an unused substitute in the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, and his return appeared to lift United in the first half. The scoreline could have been worse for the visitors, though. Estevao had a third Chelsea goal ruled out for offside and then forced a full-stretch save from Lammens.
Two goals were enough for Chelsea to move above Liverpool into fourth place.
Martínez’s moment of madness
Martínez, making only his second start since criticising the club’s hierarchy, had questioned technical director Jason Wilcox and the club’s decision-makers in an outspoken interview after the Atlético Madrid game. Against Chelsea, however, he was largely responsible for his own downfall.
Barely three minutes separated his foul on Rogers, which earned his first yellow card, and the second booking from referee Peter Bankes for the needless arm to Fofana’s face. The defender, starting for the first time since the 1-1 draw with Leeds, was also among the players at fault for Chelsea’s opener, when Rogers glided through United’s defence with bewildering ease.
Carrick did not acknowledge Martínez as he trudged down the tunnel. After the game, though, the United head coach did not criticise him, while acknowledging that the double blow of the dismissal and conceding a penalty was a “big moment” in the match.
Carrick: We let the game unravel
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick told TNT Sports:
“We didn’t get going second half. We should’ve been up in the first half. Everything was as positive as we could’ve hoped for. We looked really dangerous.
“We found a way of unravelling in the second half. Bad goal to concede and then the penalty, we’re right up against it. The game turned on its head.
“I don’t think our heads dropped. The boys were in a good place first half. You could see that with the performance in the first half.
“It just gave them a lift. We didn’t start the second half great. They struck the first blow and that made the difference.”
Alonso: We took a step forward
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso told TNT Sports:
“We are happy. The game had different moments. The first half was close; few chances for both teams.
“At half-time we spoke about keeping control and said we will win the game if we keep the ball. It was a mature performance.
“I am very demanding. We can do better. We are taking a step forward but I don’t know how far we are. My expectations are really high. I am sure for the last three months of the season we will be much better.”
On Estevao, he added: “Estevao did really well. I am happy for him. He deserved this chance and the opportunity to give back.”
Key stats
Manchester United are winless in their last nine games in all competitions (D3 L6), their longest such run since September 1984, when they went 10 games without a win. They have also failed to win any of their first seven away games in all competitions in a season for the first time since 1973/74, when they were last relegated. United have not kept a single clean sheet in their first nine Premier League games of the season.
Chelsea won a Premier League home game without conceding for the first time in 13 matches, since a 2-0 win over Brentford in January. They have kept two clean sheets in their last three Premier League games, one more than in their previous 28 matches in the competition.
Rogers became just the second Premier League player to reach 10 goal involvements in all competitions this season, with six goals and four assists, behind only Erling Haaland (13). Palmer scored his 50th Premier League goal for Chelsea in his 105th appearance, the third-fastest to the milestone for the club after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (84) and Diego Costa (85).