Chelsea Beat Ten-Man Man Utd as Carrick Feels the Heat

Manchester United's afternoon at Stamford Bridge turned on a single moment when Lisandro Martinez was sent off. With the visitors reduced to ten men, Chelsea were able to control the game and came away with a 2-0 victory.

The defeat is a further setback for Michael Carrick, whose position is already under scrutiny. Losing on the road to a rival side is hard enough for any manager, but losing after a red card for a key defender makes the result harder to defend, both tactically and in the eyes of supporters who have been looking for a clear sign of improvement.

For Chelsea, the win was a straightforward return on a numerical advantage. For United, the challenge now is to explain how a side that had to be rebuilt around a one-man deficit can respond, and whether Carrick can steady things before the pressure grows any further.