Michael Carrick came under further pressure after Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, extending their disappointing run to nine consecutive matches without a victory in all competitions.

Having already suffered back-to-back defeats by three goals, Carrick’s continued presence in the Manchester United dugout was a surprise to many observers as the pressure surrounding his position continued to grow.

However, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso was also facing questions despite being under less scrutiny than his opposite number. Recent defeats against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, which also resulted in their elimination from the League Cup, had increased the pressure on the Chelsea boss to deliver a positive response.

Chelsea struggled to find a way through in the first half, despite going into the interval with the score still level. The hosts made a positive start, with Estevao causing problems down the right flank and sending the first shot of the match wide. At the other end, former Chelsea player Andrey Santos curled an effort narrowly past the post.

Estevao thought he had opened the scoring around the 15-minute mark, but his follow-up from a Pedro Neto effort was ruled out for offside.

Manchester United then created the clearest chance of the half after Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes combined on a counter-attack. However, Fernandes fired over the crossbar from a promising position when he should have tested Mike Penders.

Amad Diallo was United’s most influential player, giving Wesley Fofana plenty of problems throughout the half.

The Ivory Coast international forced Penders into two saves before Matheus Cunha appeared to put United ahead with a header, only for that goal to be disallowed for offside as well.

The closest either team came to scoring was when Fofana met a corner with a header that struck Moises Caicedo before hitting the post and bouncing away from danger.

Chelsea’s attacking quality has been one of their biggest strengths this season, and Morgan Rogers produced another moment of brilliance shortly after the restart to break the deadlock.

After Romeo Lavia won possession in midfield, the England international surged towards the Manchester United defence before calmly lifting the ball over Senne Lammens to put Chelsea ahead.

With the match still finely balanced, United then made matters worse for themselves, handing Chelsea a valuable advantage.

As a corner was delivered into the box, Lisandro Martinez appeared focused solely on Wesley Fofana before barging into the Chelsea defender with his arm. Following a VAR review, Chelsea were awarded a penalty, while the Argentine defender was shown a second yellow card and sent off.

Cole Palmer stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick. Although his effort lacked conviction and Lammens managed to get a strong hand to the ball, the goalkeeper could only divert it into the net.

That incident effectively settled the contest, allowing Chelsea to control possession comfortably for the remainder of the match.

The hosts thought they had added another goal when Estevao fired home, but the effort was ruled out after he was caught narrowly offside from Cole Palmer’s pass.

Chelsea struggled to find effective solutions in the first half, although the teams went into the break level. The hosts made a promising start, with Estevao causing problems down the right flank and sending the first shot of the match wide. At the other end, former Chelsea player Andrey Santos curled an effort narrowly past the post.

Estevao appeared to have opened the scoring around the 15-minute mark, but his rebound from a Pedro Neto shot was ruled out for offside.

Manchester United then created the best opportunity of the half after Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes led a forward move. However, Fernandes fired over the crossbar from a promising position when he should have tested Mike Penders.

Amad Diallo was United’s standout performer, giving Wesley Fofana plenty of problems with his attacking runs.

The Ivory Coast international forced Penders into two saves before Matheus Cunha headed the ball into the net, only for that effort to be ruled out for offside as well.