Pressure piles on Man United’s Carrick after 2-0 defeat at Chelsea

Pressure intensified on beleaguered Manchester United manager Michael Carrick after his side finished with ten men in a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on Saturday to record their ninth straight game without a win in all competitions. The United board decided to stick with Carrick for the Chelsea game despite a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth last weekend after a 4-1 drubbing at Como in the Champions League but they lost again to goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. The result leaves United in provisional 16th spot with seven points from nine games, just a point above the relegation zone, while Chelsea are now in fourth place on 16 points. United, with captain Bruno Fernandes restored to the side after falling out with Carrick, looked lively in the first half but squandered a series of chances, notably from Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, who had a goal ruled offside, and Amad. They were punished four minutes into the second half when Rogers picked up the ball just inside the United half and cantered past a hesitant defence before delicately lifting it past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. United found themselves a man down in the 63rd minute when Lisandro Martinez floored Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana in the area to give away a penalty and was shown a second yellow card. Palmer scored from the spot despite Lammens getting his hand to the ball as he dived to his right. The home fans taunted Carrick, who enjoyed a highly successful 12-year career as a United midfielder, with chants of “You’ll be sacked in the morning.”