Man United hits historic low as nine-match losing streak deepens

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick faces mounting pressure after his team fell 2-0 at Chelsea on Saturday, extending a winless run in all competitions to nine matches. The streak is the longest for the club since 1988, according to BBC data. United now sits one point and one place above the relegation zone with only one league win in nine games.

The loss was complicated by a second-half sending-off for Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine defender jumped with a raised elbow toward Wesley Fofana during a corner kick, striking the Chelsea player in the face. A video review confirmed the foul, and Martinez received a second yellow card within four minutes. Carrick noted that the red card had major importance on the game, calling it a huge moment. As Martinez left the field, Carrick did not acknowledge him.

Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored the goals for Chelsea. Palmer converted a 64th-minute penalty following the incident with Martinez. Carrick said things had gone against United in a big way and that the situation unraveled quickly. He restored Bruno Fernandes to the starting lineup for this match after dropping the captain the previous week. Despite the result, Carrick felt the first-half performance was among the best of the season, describing the team as dangerous and fluid.

United’s next match is at home to Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday. Carrick said he expected to remain in charge and looked forward to preparing the squad for the midweek fixture. The club has won only two of its last 13 matches in all competitions, defeating promoted Ipswich in the league and tournament newcomer Sabah in Europe. Its next two league opponents are Aston Villa and Liverpool, creating a strong possibility that the 20-time English champion could drop into the bottom three.

The day was equally difficult for Manchester City. The first-place club lost 1-0 to Brighton at the Etihad Stadium, marking its second consecutive league defeat. Yasin Ayari scored the winner in the 11th minute. The loss ended the scoring streak of striker Erling Haaland, who had found the net in his previous seven league games. He was four goals away from matching Jamie Vardy’s record for consecutive match goals.

City manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged that the team was not going to win every game. He noted that the moment to move on and win as soon as possible had arrived. Maresca was the first manager to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a club. City is also awaiting a sanction after being found guilty of large-scale financial rule-breaking last month, with an appeal currently lodged.

Brighton moved into third place, two points behind the leaders, after the victory. The club has beaten both Arsenal and City this season without conceding a goal. In other results, Bournemouth recorded a sixth straight win without conceding a goal by beating Leeds 2-0. Tottenham defeated 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0, while Aston Villa drew 1-1 with Fulham after dropping a corner. Sunderland lost 3-1 at Coventry, remaining in last place.