Manchester United suffered another defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, bringing Michael Carrick closer to losing his job as he once again failed to halt the team’s downward spiral.
The English manager headed into the Matchday 9 Premier League encounter having been granted a reprieve by the board following recent meetings regarding his future, in a match described by Reuters as potentially his final opportunity to save his tenure.
Chelsea sealed a 2-0 victory, opening the scoring through Morgan Rogers in the 50th minute before Cole Palmer doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 64th minute—shortly after Lisandro Martínez received a second yellow card and was sent off, further compounding the visitors’ troubles.
With this result, United has managed just two victories in 13 matches across all competitions this season, alongside four draws and seven defeats—a win rate of just 15.4%—while extending their winless streak to nine consecutive fixtures.
The setback in London marked a third straight loss for the team, following a 4-1 defeat against Como in the Champions League and a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth in the league, bringing their tally to nine goals conceded and just one scored over that stretch.
United remains stuck on seven points, provisionally sitting 16th in the table after one win, four draws, and four defeats from nine matches. Meanwhile, Chelsea raised their tally to 16 points, temporarily moving up to fourth place pending the remaining fixtures of the matchday.
Regarding potential replacements, Sky Sports reports that Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann feature among the leading candidates to succeed Carrick, as football executives begin evaluating alternative options. The latest loss intensifies pressure on the manager who was handed the permanent job after guiding the team to a third-place finish last season.
United face two final tests at Old Trafford before the international break: hosting Roma on Tuesday, November 3, in the Champions League, followed by Aston Villa on Sunday, November 8, in the Premier League, amid a deepening crisis on both domestic and continental fronts.
As for Chelsea, Xabi Alonso’s side bounced back after losing to Tottenham and being eliminated from the League Cup on penalties by Liverpool, aiming to sustain their momentum when they visit Sunderland on November 8 ahead of the international break.
