Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Morgan Rogers scored a brilliant solo goal, Cole Palmer added a penalty, and Lisandro Martínez was sent off in a second half that went badly wrong for the visitors.
The win lifts Xabi Alonso’s side to fourth in the Premier League with 16 points, above Liverpool. United stay 16th with seven points from nine games, only one point above the relegation zone.
United were better before the break
The first half belonged to United. They had the better chances and thought they had scored before half-time, but Matheus Cunha’s goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Michael Carrick said after the game that his team should have been ahead at the break. Instead, the game turned in the space of 15 minutes.
Rogers, then a red card
Five minutes after the restart, Rogers picked up the ball in midfield, ran straight at the United defence and finished past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. It was a goal he made on his own.
Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in July for a reported British record fee and signed a contract until 2033. Days like this are why the club paid so much.
Martínez was already on a yellow card for a foul on Rogers. On 63 minutes, after a VAR check, the referee showed him a second yellow for raising his arm to the face of Wesley Fofana at a corner. Chelsea were also given a penalty, and Palmer scored it a minute later.
Estêvão thought he had made it 3-0 late on, but that goal was also ruled out for offside.
Nine games without a win
This was United’s third defeat in a row, after a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth last weekend. They have now gone nine games without a win in all competitions.
Carrick told reporters there was “no hiding” from the fact that his team have not won enough games. He said he had not seen the red card yet and did not feel let down by Martínez.
“We have got to move forward and take the things that worked for us today,” he added.
Asked if he expects to be in charge for the next game, Carrick said yes. United host Roma in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Our take
Chelsea were not at their best for 45 minutes, and they still won with something to spare. That says a lot about the players Alonso has. When a game needs one moment of quality, Rogers and Palmer can give it.
For United, the story is the same as in recent weeks. They play well in spells, then one mistake changes everything. Martínez’s red card came at the worst time, with United already chasing the game. Carrick needs a result against Roma, and he needs it fast.
Who was the best player at Stamford Bridge, Rogers or Palmer? And should Carrick stay at United? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Morgan Rogers by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0), Lisandro Martínez by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0), Stamford Bridge by Arne Müseler (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE).
