Manchester United falls to ninth straight loss as red card sinks team

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick faces mounting pressure after his team lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Saturday, a result that extends the club's winless streak in all competitions to nine matches.

The defeat at Stamford Bridge was complicated by the ejection of defender Lisandro Martinez. Martinez received a second yellow card in the 64th minute after jumping with a raised elbow toward Wesley Fofana during a corner kick. A video review confirmed the offense, and the Argentine player was sent off. Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored the goals for Chelsea, with Palmer converting a penalty.

This is United's longest run without a victory since 1988. The team has won only one Premier League match in its first nine games of the season. That single win came against promoted Ipswich. United's other victory this season was a Champions League match against Sabah. The club currently sits one point and one place above the relegation zone.

Carrick acknowledged the difficult circumstances in a post-match interview. He stated that things had gone against the team in a big way and that the situation unraveled quickly. Carrick noted that Martinez's red card had a major importance on the game and called it a huge moment. As Martinez walked off the field, Carrick did not acknowledge the player. Carrick said he expected to remain in charge for the team's next match against Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The day was also difficult for Manchester City, which lost 1-0 to Brighton at home. This marks City's second consecutive league loss after an opening run of seven wins. Yasin Ayari scored the winning goal in the 11th minute. The result ends the scoring run of striker Erling Haaland, who had found the net in his previous seven league matches. He is now four matches short of the record for consecutive scoring appearances held by Jamie Vardy.

City manager Enzo Maresca said the team was aware it would not win every game. He noted that they need to move on and win games as soon as possible. City remains the first club in Premier League history to win its first seven matches under a new manager. The club is currently awaiting a sanction after being found guilty of large-scale financial rule-breaking last month. It has also lodged an appeal.

Brighton moved into third place with the victory, sitting two points off the lead. The team has beaten both Arsenal and City this season without conceding a goal. Bournemouth secured a 2-0 win over Leeds, extending its unbeaten run to six matches without conceding. Tottenham defeated 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0 for its third straight win.

Sunderland remains in last place after losing 3-1 to Coventry. Nottingham Forest lost 2-0 to Brentford, and promoted teams Hull and Ipswich drew 2-2. Arsenal, tied on points with City in second place, can move into first place with a win or a draw against Liverpool on Sunday.