_FIVE ASIDES
Premier League
Chelsea 2, United 0
_**If Michael Carrick has a superpower as a manager, it is getting results against the big six.** In 2021-22, during his first go as an interim boss, he steered United to a draw at Chelsea and a win over Arsenal. Last season he faced all the other five members of the club and beat the lot of them. So he had 19 points from seven big-six games as this season began. Then his team went down at home to Man City, but only because of a howler by the VAR: the match itself was a moral stalemate. The one thing you could half-blame Carrick for was the way they toiled against ten men, although he had inherited that flaw from Ruben Amorim. They did it again in the next big-six game, drawing with Spurs when they should have won. And now they’ve lost at Chelsea, but again there are extenuating circumstances. United were missing four regular starters – and then they were sabotaged by two minutes of madness from Lisandro Martinez.
**First Martinez fouled Morgan Rogers, not once but twice, to pick up a well-deserved booking.** Then, 82 seconds later, when he was supposed to be defending a corner, he ignored the ball and pushed Wesley Fofana in the face. It was as if he was trying to get sent off, trying to give away a penalty, trying to get Carrick sacked. After being thrown under the bus by his captain in Como, Carrick had now been thrown to the wolves by another senior player. Xavi Alonso sent out the youngest XI seen in the Premier League this season, all 26 or under – and the one player on the pitch who proved to be fatally immature was older than all of them.
**In the London sunshine, it never rained, but it poured.** Carrick had used the midweek off not just to cling onto his job but to get United playing better. In the first half, they had more zip than they’d shown since the first half of the derby. They outdid Chelsea, according to Sofascore, in terms of shots (9-7), corners (6-3), expected goals (1.09-0.28) and big chances (3-1). They had just failed to be clinical in front of goal – Bryan Mbeumo opting not to slide in to meet Bruno Fernandes’ fizzed cross, Fernandes himself taking a wild shot when a thrilling counter left him needing only to square to Amad, Matheus Cunha taking a heavy touch when slipped in by Mbeumo. So they couldn’t complain at not being ahead, but it should have been 1-1 or even 2-2 rather than 0-0, as both teams had been sparky in attack and shaky in defence.
**After starting the first half fast, United seemed to forget that Chelsea tend to start both halves that way.** Martinez and Harry Maguire were far too accommodating to Morgan Rogers, who had tormented United the previous time he faced them at home (at Villa Park, just before Christmas). Still, it took an inspired run and a lovely finish for Chelsea to make them pay. But then came Martinez’s red mist, and a weak hand from Senne Lemmens when something special was required. United did at least manage not to concede again. Bolstered by the return of Kobbie Mainoo, they were more effective with ten men than they usually are against them. But they gave away several yellow cards, and it could have been 4-0 if Chelsea’s young blades had been sharper. The fourth official twisted the knife by announcing ten minutes of added time, yet somehow the score stayed put.
**United’s frustrating run of draws has now given way to a wretched run of defeats.** How can they snap out of it? (1) Start Mainoo, unbeaten as a starter under Carrick except in that VAR-tainted derby. (2) Give youth a chance – grant Shea Lacey more minutes, show some faith in Harry Amass, promote Victor Musa from the Under-21s so there’s at least one centre-forward on the bench. (3) Prioritise the Premier League even if it means losing again in Europe. (4) Get Fernandes behind the ball more – a simple omission that Glenn Hoddle spotted early on in Como. Fernandes is still out of form, but he’s more likely to get back on song if he can be the musical director.
_Tim de Lisle is the editor of United Writing, a sportswriter for The Guardian and (in case you’re looking for light relief) [a pop critic on Substack](https://timdelisleonmusic.substack.com/). He’s been supporting United since they hired [a second former Chelsea manager](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/nov/26/dave-sexton) in a row._