Manchester United's Winless Run Hits Nine Matches — Their Worst Since 1986

Manchester United's season has plunged deeper into crisis after a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea stretched their winless run across all competitions to nine matches — the club's worst such sequence since 1986. Manager Michael Carrick is under mounting pressure, with United sitting just outside the bottom three of the Premier League table. The Chelsea defeat was marred by controversy when Lisandro Martinez was sent off after collecting two bookings in three minutes. His second foul — thrusting his arm into the face of Wesley Fofana — also conceded a penalty, which Cole Palmer converted to seal the result. The loss followed earlier Champions League defeats away at Atletico Madrid and Como, and after those games both Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes publicly criticised the club's hierarchy. Carrick, who has cut an increasingly dejected figure in recent weeks, attempted to stay composed ahead of Tuesday's Champions League home fixture against Roma. "The commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other — do not question at all," he said. "We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but the commitment is not a thing at all." Roma arrive at Old Trafford in strong form, having scored 16 goals across their last four games in all competitions, making United's need for a result all the more urgent.