Manchester United’s struggles deepened with a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea in the English Premier League on Saturday, intensifying doubts over manager Michael Carrick’s future. The loss was compounded by Lisandro Martinez’s red card during the match at Stamford Bridge, contributing to United’s ongoing difficulties. The club has now gone nine matches without a win across all competitions, marking its longest such streak since 1988.
Carrick entered the game under significant pressure, reportedly operating on a match-by-match basis. He made a notable change by reinstating team captain Bruno Fernandes to the starting lineup after benching him in the previous week’s fixture. Despite the adjustment, United were unable to find a breakthrough, falling behind early when Brighton's Yasin Ayari netted the opening goal in the 11th minute. The result added to a string of disappointing outcomes for the club.
Meanwhile, their city rivals Manchester City also suffered a setback, losing 1-0 to Brighton. The defeat represented City’s second consecutive loss in the league following an initial winning streak of seven straight victories at the start of the campaign.
In Spain, Barcelona returned to the summit of La Liga with a commanding 6-1 victory over Alaves at the Camp Nou. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha each scored twice, with Raphinha continuing to lead the league’s scoring charts at 15 goals in 10 matches—four clear of Atlético Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé. Atlético’s brief tenure atop the table ended after a 2-0 win against Levante.
Germany’s Bundesliga Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund ended in a 2-2 draw. Bayern failed to hold a late lead and faced injury concerns as Michael Olise, Ismael Saibari, and Serge Gnabry exited the contest due to knocks. Harry Kane, recently awarded the Ballon d’Or, played but was unable to score in his first game since claiming the accolade.
In Italy, AC Milan secured a 3-1 home victory over cross-town rivals Inter Milan. The result handed Inter their first defeat of the Serie A season, with American player Christian Pulisic contributing significantly following a recent contract extension.
Off the field, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher issued an apology to Aston Villa for remarks made during a podcast that prompted the club to initiate legal proceedings. Carragher had used profane language directed at fans who criticized his suggestion that Villa manager Unai Emery might consider managing Manchester United should Carrick be dismissed.