Manchester United suffered another defeat, this time against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, after a week of disappointing results. Sir Alex Ferguson's side were thrashed 3‑0 at home by Bournemouth last Sunday and are now preparing for a further clash against Roma in the Champions League. The match against Gasperini's team will be the last chance for Michael Carrick to demonstrate his value, as he also remained on the bench for the away match in London and will probably not be called up for the home match against Roma.
In the match against Chelsea, Chelsea had the advantage from the start. Estevao attempted a shot from outside the area, but the left-footed shot was too wide. A minute later, former United player Andrey Santos grazed the post. In the 22nd minute Chelsea had their best chance: Acheampong was denied, then Fofana headed the ball at Colwill's invitation and the ball was saved by the goalkeeper. Around the half hour mark, Manchester United started to create danger. Amad Diallo forced Penders into a save with a left-footed shot from outside the area, but attempts from Cunha and Bruno Fernandes were blocked. In the 34th minute the Red Devils took the lead: Maguire sent a long ball and Cunha scored, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside. In the final, Amad lost a counterattack built by Bruno Fernandes, while Rogers broke the deadlock with a shot that ended up in the net. Lisandro Martinez was booked and Palmer ended the match.
In the 50th minute Lavia served Morgan Rogers, who scored with a left foot from the center of the area, opening the score. Chelsea tried to double the lead, but a minute later Pedro Neto found the goalkeeper's save again. Carrick tried to change the game with substitutions, but between the 59th and 63rd minutes the situation became complicated. Lisandro Martínez was booked, then Fofana was in the area and referee Peter Bankes awarded a penalty, confirmed by VAR, and the Argentine received a second yellow. Cole Palmer's spot kick led to the goal. With ten men, Manchester United failed to react and Chelsea managed the rest of the match without difficulty.
For the Red Devils there is also some bad news ahead of Roma: in the 75th minute Amad Diallo stopped due to injury and made way for Zirkzee. With the defeat against Chelsea, Manchester United find themselves in a difficult position in the Premier League and will have to face Roma with a team that has suffered numerous injuries and form problems. The next match will be a crucial test for the team, which will have to demonstrate that it can compete at European level and regain the fans' trust. The new manager's future remains uncertain as the club tries to stabilize the situation and find solutions to improve performance on the pitch.