Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League, thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer who handed the Blues three important points at Stamford Bridge.
United missed several good chances before Rogers opened the scoring in the second half. The visitors suffered another setback when Martinez was sent off.
The result increased the pressure on manager Michael Carrick, while Xabi Alonso received a much-needed boost after recent disappointing result against Liverpool.
Manchester United started brightly and created some promising opportunities against a Chelsea side that struggled to control the game during the opening 45 minutes.
Andrey Santos, who previously played for the host, came close to giving United the lead with a shot from around 20 yards that went narrowly wide.
The Blues also threatened through Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian. However, Senne Lammens made a save from Neto before Estevao scored from close range.
The Brazilian’s effort was ruled out for offside immediately. The visitors continued to find space in attack but failed to make their chances count as the game carried on.
Bruno Fernandes wasted a promising opportunity which could have easily make it 1-0 after Bryan Mbeumo sent a pass into his path during a counterattack.
The United captain fired his effort over the crossbar when he had a chance to make it count for his side during the first half.
Amad Diallo also threatened the home side defence, while Matheus Cunha had a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review during the first half.
United’s failure to take advantage of their first-half opportunities would eventually prove costly for them as the second half was a different case.
Chelsea returned for the second half with greater confidence and began to put Manchester United under pressure. The host dominated the game and created opportunities back-to-back.
The breakthrough arrived when United lost possession in midfield. Moises Caicedo helped disrupt the visitors’ attack, and Romeo Lavia won the ball before it reached Rogers.
The England attacker drove forward through the middle, took advantage of the space in front of him and lifted the ball over Lammens to make it 1-0 in the 50th minute.
Rogers goal gave the home side the advantage and left United with another difficult task as they searched for an equaliser immediately as play carried on.
The visitors struggled to recover, while the blues looked more comfortable after taking the lead. Manchester United’s hopes of getting back into the game suffered another major blow when Martinez was sent off in the 63rd minute.
The defender had already received a yellow card before elbowing Fofana during a corner situation. The referee reviewed the incident, and Martinez received his second yellow card before being dismissed.
The decision left the red devils with 10 players and made their comeback even more difficult. The host were awarded a penalty following the incident, and Palmer stepped forward to take responsibility.
The England international calmly converted from the spot, with Lammens getting a bit of the ball before it hit the back of the net to put Chelsea 2-0 ahead.
Palmer’s penalty effectively settled the game and gave the home supporters further reason to celebrate as play carried on at Stamford Bridge.
The host had another Estevao effort ruled out for offside, preventing the Brazilian from getting his name on the scoresheet despite an encouraging performance.
The visitors continued to search for a consolation goal, but their attacking problems remained. Mbeumo came close late in the match when his effort struck the crossbar.
It was another frustrating moment for United, who had created enough opportunities to make the contest more competitive but failed to finish them.
The match ended 2-0, with Chelsea claiming a valuable home victory against Manchester United after 90 minutes of the encounter which sent the blues back into top four in the Premier League.
The win moved Xabi Alonso’s side into fourth place provisionally with 16 points, strengthening their position in the Premier League race. However, they fourth position will be until Liverpool result is confirmed.
The defeat extends Manchester United winless run to nine matches in all competitions and increased the pressure on Michael Carrick who could end up getting sacked.
Chelsea will take confidence from their second-half performance, while United must improve their finishing and defensive discipline if they hope to turn their season around.
