Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United: Martinez sent off as Rogers and Palmer pile pressure on Carrick

Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Morgan Rogers scoring early in the second half and Cole Palmer converting a penalty after Lisandro Martinez was sent off. The win lifted Chelsea into the Premier League's top four, while United are now without a victory in nine matches in all competitions and sit just one point above the relegation zone. The match kicked off at 8.30pm Malaysia time on Saturday.

A strong first half wasted

United, under heavy scrutiny going into the weekend, were arguably the better side before the break. Captain Bruno Fernandes, recalled after being left out the previous week, missed a clear chance when unmarked from a Bryan Mbeumo cross. Amad Diallo was twice denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders, and Matheus Cunha also failed to take an opportunity.

Chelsea threatened too. Estevao had a goal disallowed for offside and forced a stretching save from Senne Lammens in the United goal.

Ten minutes that settled it

The breakthrough came in the 50th minute. Rogers ran through a static United back line and lifted his finish over Lammens to put Chelsea ahead.

United's afternoon then fell apart. Martinez was booked for pulling back Rogers, and only about three minutes later he was shown a second yellow card after a VAR check found he had raised his arm into the face of Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area. The sending-off came in the 63rd minute and the same incident produced a penalty, which Palmer converted a minute later.

Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso, saw out the rest of the match comfortably against ten men.

Carrick under growing pressure

The defeat deepens the problems facing head coach Michael Carrick. United's winless run (three draws and six defeats) is their longest since 1984, and they have yet to keep a clean sheet in nine Premier League games this season. The previous weekend they lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth, and they were also beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League.

Carrick said afterwards that the second half was where his side went wrong, describing the red card and penalty as a big moment, but he did not publicly criticise Martinez. Sky Sports noted that Carrick did not acknowledge the Argentine defender as he left the pitch. Martinez had recently spoken out about the club's lack of transfer spending.

United went into the weekend in 16th place and, with other results still to come, could end the round in the bottom three.

What comes next

United have little time to regroup. They host Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, a game in which another defeat could seriously damage their hopes of progressing in Europe, having lost two of their first three matches.

For Chelsea, the win was a timely response after a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend. They now have 16 points from nine matches and sit fourth, one point ahead of Liverpool, who host Arsenal on Sunday (12.30am Monday, Malaysia time).

Key takeaways

• Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on 31 October.
• Morgan Rogers scored in the 50th minute and Cole Palmer added a 64th-minute penalty.
• Lisandro Martinez was sent off for two bookings in about three minutes, the second after a VAR check.
• United are winless in nine games in all competitions and one point above the relegation zone.
• Chelsea moved into fourth place on 16 points.

FAQ

Who scored in Chelsea vs Manchester United? Morgan Rogers (50') and Cole Palmer (64', penalty) scored for Chelsea. United did not score.

Why was Lisandro Martinez sent off? He was first booked for a foul on Rogers, then received a second yellow card after VAR found he had raised an arm into Wesley Fofana's face in the box, which also gave Chelsea a penalty.

When do Manchester United play next? United host Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, 3 November.

Sources: Sky Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera