Martínez was booked twice in a few minutes, and Chelsea’s 2-0 win leaves United nine games without a win

Michael Carrick put Bruno Fernandes back in his side at Stamford Bridge, and the captain had United’s best chance of the first half. Bryan Mbeumo found him unmarked and he fired over. By the 64th minute the game was gone: Morgan Rogers had scored, Lisandro Martínez had been sent off, and Cole Palmer’s penalty made it 2-0 to Chelsea.

United have now gone nine matches without a win in all competitions, their longest run since 1988. They were 16th at full time with seven points, one above the relegation zone. Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, the two sides directly below them, both play later on Saturday, so United could be in the bottom three by the end of the day.

Level at the break

United were not bad in the first half. Matheus Cunha headed in from a Harry Maguire knockdown before the interval, but he was offside. Chelsea keeper Mike Penders kept out Amad Diallo, and Fernandes should have done better with his chance. It was 0-0 at half-time.

Five minutes after it, Rogers took the ball in midfield and ran straight at United’s back line. He went past Martínez and Maguire and lifted his finish over Senne Lammens.

Two yellows in a few minutes

Martínez was booked around the hour for pulling Rogers back. A few minutes later, at a Chelsea corner, he went up with an arm raised and caught Wesley Fofana in the face. Referee Peter Bankes did not give it at first. VAR sent him to the monitor, and he came back with a penalty and a second yellow card.

Palmer put the kick towards the corner and Lammens got a hand to it without keeping it out. Carrick did not acknowledge Martínez as he walked off.

There is history there. Martínez went public after the Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid, criticising the club’s hierarchy and naming director of football Jason Wilcox over the summer window. This was only his second start since. Estêvão had a third goal for Chelsea ruled out for offside, and late on Penders tipped a powerful Mbeumo shot onto the underside of the bar.

Roma on Tuesday

For Xabi Alonso it was the answer to a bad week. Chelsea had lost to Tottenham in their previous league game and gone out of the Carabao Cup on penalties at Liverpool on Wednesday. The win takes them above Liverpool into fourth, on 16 points.

United’s only league win this season came against promoted Ipswich, and they have won two of their 13 matches in all competitions. Roma are at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Athletic reported this week that United’s leadership had agreed to give Carrick more time, and other reports point to the November international break as the moment his future gets decided. Bringing Fernandes back was supposed to calm things down. What United got was a centre-back sent off for a second booking he did not need and two goals conceded in 14 minutes. I’d be surprised if Carrick’s extra time runs much past that break.

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