Chelsea pile more misery on Carrick & Man Utd
by KickOff Reporter · KickOffManchester United's struggles under Michael Carrick continued after going down 2-0 to rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
Premier League
Teams: Chelsea v Manchester United
Result: 2-0
Scorers: Rogers (50'), Palmer (64')
The Blues and Red Devils were under increasing pressure, particularly United, with just one win so far and slipping further down the table under embattled Michael Carrick, as the Blues aimed to bounce back from the midweek exit in the Carabao Cup and loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils were looking to steal a march in the opening stages after Bryan Mbeumo broke clear on the counter-attack and cut the ball back into the area for Bruno Fernandes, but the returning midfielder slammed over from close range.
Chelsea remained under pressure on the half-hour mark when Amad Diallo nicked possession off Wesley Fofana, drove into the six-yard area, and forced Mike Penders into a near-post save following a low, teasing shot.
The Blues were able to find momentum late in the first half and very nearly got in front when a glancing header by Marco Palestra from a corner kick bounced off Moisés Caicedo and came back off the post.
Second Half:
Xabi Alonso's came out firing after the break as Morgan Rogers intercepted a loose ball in midfield and ran clean through into the area to round Senne Lammens and tuck it into the net.
It went downhill for the Red Devils following the hour mark when Lisandro Martínez clattered into Fofana from a corner to concede a penalty and receive a red card following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Cole Palmer stepped up to fire through Lammens.
With the hosts in control, United sought inspiration to find a route back and looked to the bench to bring on Joshua Zirkzee ahead of Diallo, who had difficulty continuing to play.
Zirkzee provided a bit of impetus in attack in the final minutes and managed to come short to the edge of the area, drop a shoulder, and get on the end of the forward pass to produce a stern shot, but Penders parried.
Penders yet again denied the visitors a consolation in additional time and tipped a ferocious point-blank strike from Mbeumo onto the top of the woodwork, whilst the Blues sealed victory to pile more pressure on United and Carrick.
Upcoming Fixtures:
Chelsea:
1. Sunderland (A)
2. Leeds United (H)
3. Nottingham Forest (A)
4. Crystal Palace (H)
5. Liverpool (H)
Manchester United:
1. AS Roma (H)
2. Aston Villa (H)
3. Liverpool (A)
4. Sporting Lisbon (A)
5. Brentford (H)