Manchester United’s Chelsea setback deepens after Lisandro Martinez dismissal

Chelsea took firm control of their Premier League meeting with Manchester United after Lisandro Martinez was sent off, leaving Michael Carrick’s side two goals behind and down to 10 men at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The match had been goalless at half-time, but Chelsea broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart when Rogers produced an excellent individual finish.

Rogers was allowed to run through Manchester United’s midfield and defence with little resistance before calmly lifting the ball over goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The goal punished a lapse in concentration from United and undermined the work they had done during the opening 45 minutes.

United’s defensive performance had already come under scrutiny, with Chelsea repeatedly finding space and reaching the visitors’ penalty area with relative ease.

Martinez’s afternoon worsened in the 59th minute when he was booked for bringing down Rogers. The Argentine defender had been beaten by the Chelsea player and tried to stop his progress with an illegal challenge.

The situation deteriorated further moments later. Following a Chelsea corner, Fofana went down inside the Manchester United penalty area holding his face, prompting appeals from the home players for a spot-kick.

The referee initially awarded another corner, but the video assistant referee (VAR) recommended a review of Martinez’s challenge on Fofana. After checking the incident, the referee awarded Chelsea a penalty and showed Martinez a second yellow card.

The Manchester United defender was therefore dismissed, leaving his side to continue with 10 players while already trailing. The decision placed United in a highly difficult position and gave Chelsea a significant numerical advantage for the remainder of the contest.

Cole Palmer took responsibility for the penalty and doubled Chelsea’s lead. Lammens got a hand to the effort, but could not prevent the ball from crossing the line.

Chelsea’s advantage had therefore grown from a narrow one-goal lead into a comfortable position in the space of a few minutes. For Carrick, the dismissal created a particularly complicated challenge as Manchester United attempted to recover from both the deficit and their numerical disadvantage.

Martinez’s future could also become a subject of attention in the coming months. Atletico Madrid are preparing to compete with Barcelona for the defender’s services. His contract expires in the summer of 2027, meaning he would be available as a free transfer in next summer’s transfer window.