Two second-half goals and a sending off for Lisandro Martínez turned the game in Chelsea’s favour at Stamford Bridge. Re-live this Premier League game with our Chelsea vs Man Utd stats page.
Michael Carrick’s time in charge of Manchester United could well be up after a dismal 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where Lisandro Martínez was sent off.
Carrick seemed set to face the axe earlier this week after United’s heavy defeats to Como and Bournemouth, but he was kept in charge for Saturday’s Premier League contest, which was settled by second-half goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer.
It was Martínez’s outburst in the wake of a Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid earlier in October that really kicked up the feeling of chaos around United.
But the Argentine played a huge part in United’s downfall when he saw red for a ludicrous lunge on Wesley Fofana.
United were the better team in the first half, creating chances worth 1.09 expected goals to Chelsea’s 0.28 xG.
Bruno Fernandes, back in the starting XI after he was benched against Bournemouth following his open criticism of Carrick’s tactics, wasted the best of those opportunities when he blazed over at the end of a rapid counter-attack.
Estêvão had earlier had a goal disallowed for offside, and United suffered the same fate when Matheus Cunha turned in from Harry Maguire‘s header from a corner.
Moisés Caicedo deflected against the post from a Chelsea corner before Amad Diallo and Pedro Neto squandered big chances prior to half-time, but United’s positive showing did not stretch into the second period.
Instead, they allowed Rogers the freedom of the park as he surged through midfield and into the box before lifting a deft finish over Senne Lammens.
United’s frustration was compounded by a moment of madness from Martínez.
He had only just been booked for a foul on Rogers when he went in forearm first on Fofana in the visitors’ area while defending a corner, with referee Peter Bankes awarding the penalty and showing Martínez a second yellow after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Lammens could have done better to keep out Palmer’s spot-kick, and only a VAR review for a narrow offside prevented Estêvão from making it 3-0 soon after.
Bryan Mbeumo struck the crossbar via a wonderful save from Mike Penders, before Palmer and Valentín Barco passed up huge chances at the other end in 10 minutes of stoppage time, but the victory was comfortable in the end, it looks even bleaker for Carrick.
No Let-Up for Carrick as Palmer Brings Up Half-Century
The writing seems to be on the wall for Carrick, and this was a scary second-half performance on Halloween if you are of a United persuasion.
Their second-half xG came in at just 0.08, to Chelsea’s 2.33, and the Red Devils have now gone nine straight games without a win for the first time since 1988.
Their defending for Chelsea’s opener was truly terrible, with Rogers able to drive through the centre of the field and finish unchallenged.
Rogers is just the second Premier League player to reach 10 goal involvements in all competitions this season (six goals, four assists), after Erling Haaland (13). To give a player of his quality so much time and space was baffling.
Not as baffling, though, as Martínez’s decision to raise his arm to Fofana, giving referee Bankes little choice but to send him off and award the penalty. That marked the Argentine’s second Premier League red card of 2026, after he was dismissed against Leeds United in April.
Palmer stepped up to score his 50th Premier League goal in his 105th game for Chelsea – only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (84) and Diego Costa (85) have taken fewer games to reach that milestone for the Blues – and there was really no coming back from there for a United team that looked devoid of energy or ideas.
United have failed to score in four of their nine league games this season. Only Coventry City (five) have failed to score more often in the top flight this season, and the Red Devils could end the day in the bottom three.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Chelsea vs Man Utd stats from their Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge on 31 October 2026.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
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Chelsea vs Man Utd: Post-Match Opta Facts
Chelsea won a Premier League home game without conceding for the first time in 13 matches, since a 2-0 victory against Brentford in January.
Manchester United are winless in their last nine games in all competitions (D3 L6). They last had a longer run in September 1984 (10 games).
Chelsea have scored nine goals in the opening five minutes of either half in the Premier League this season, no other team have scored more than three, while only in 2008-09 (10) and 2024-25 (11) have the Blues netted more such goals.
Roméo Lavia won possession 14 times against Manchester United, the most by a Chelsea player in a Premier League game since Lewis Hall vs Fulham in January 2023 (also 14) and the joint-most by any player in the competition this season (alongside Exequiel Palacios for Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest).
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Premier League Opta Stats
Premier League Opta Stats