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Chelsea beat Manchester United as Martinez sent off in second-half collapse

Summarised from 12 outlets · 60 reports · Updated 31 Oct, 21:38 · Archive

Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, after Lisandro Martinez was sent off.

Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a match that turned decisively in the second half. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a solo goal in the 50th minute, running through the heart of United's defence. Cole Palmer then converted a penalty in the 64th minute to seal the victory.

United had dominated the first half and created several clear chances. Bruno Fernandes, restored to the side as captain after being dropped for criticising Carrick's tactics following the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, blazed over the bar from Bryan Mbeumo's cross. Amad Diallo was twice denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders, and Matheus Cunha had a goal disallowed for being marginally offside after heading in from Harry Maguire's corner.

The match was decided by Lisandro Martinez's dismissal. The Argentina defender received a yellow card for bringing down Rogers, who scored the opening goal. Less than two minutes later, with a raised forearm while defending a corner, Martinez made contact with Wesley Fofana. Referee Peter Bankes initially did not award a penalty, but VAR intervened and the officials awarded both a penalty and a second yellow card, sending Martinez off after just 83 seconds between his two fouls.

The defeat extended United's winless run to nine games in all competitions, their longest such stretch since October-November 1988. United sit 17th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone, with only seven points from nine matches—their worst return to a campaign in over 40 years. The loss came after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth the previous weekend, which had intensified pressure on Carrick.

Carick said he was not surprised to retain his job after holding crisis talks with United's hierarchy during the week. He insisted he would be in charge for Tuesday's Champions League match against Roma and said his team had performed positively until Martinez's dismissal, noting that the side could have and should have been ahead at half-time. Former United midfielder Carrick acknowledged the team had 'unravelled' in the second half but declined to criticise Martinez publicly, saying the red card and resulting penalty 'had a big influence' on the game.

Bruno Fernandes appeared visibly emotional after the match, with footage showing him seeming to wipe away tears as he spoke to travelling supporters. Former Manchester United defender Peter Schmeichel and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy were among former players to criticise Martinez's performance heavily, with Schmeichel calling it 'an absolute disgrace' and Murphy suggesting Martinez should not play for the club again given his attitude and recent public criticism of the club's hierarchy.

Chelsea beat Manchester United as Martinez sent off in second-half collapse
Image: BBC Sport

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In this story: Michael Carrick · Manchester United · Chelsea · Lisandro Martinez · Morgan Rogers · Cole Palmer · Bruno Fernandes · Stamford Bridge

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