Lisandro Martinez was sent off as Manchester United sunk to a 2-0 loss to Chelsea to plunge Michael Carrick further into trouble.
Martinez, making only his second start since criticising the club’s hierarchy, was shown a second yellow for raising an arm to the face of Wesley Fofana inside the United box following a VAR check, only three minutes after being booked for fouling Morgan Rogers.
Cole Palmer dispatched the resulting penalty, doubling Chelsea’s lead after Rogers had charged through Manchester United’s static defence and lifted a delicate finish over Senne Lammens for the opener at the start of the second half.
United’s second-half implosion extends United’s winless run to nine games in all competitions and piles pressure on head coach Carrick, who reinstated Bruno Fernandes after dropping the captain for his criticism of his tactics after the defeat to Como.
Fernandes’ return to the side, after he was an unused substitute in the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, appeared to help United in the first half but they were unable to convert a series of chances.
Fernandes missed the best of them, firing harmlessly over when unmarked from Bryan Mbeumo’s centre. Amad Diallo was also culpable as he was twice denied by Mike Penders as Chelsea struggled to contain United’s counter-attacks.
But the visitors were made to pay for their wastefulness only five minutes after the interval, as Rogers accelerated into the box unchallenged to strike the first blow in a defeat which leaves United a point above the relegation zone, with Carrick’s future in doubt.
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