Martinez's 'inexplicable' 83 seconds cost Man Utd and Carrick

Martinez sent off in 83 seconds for two fouls, including an elbow on Fofana; Chelsea won 2-0 with United down to 10 men.

Lisandro Martinez's afternoon at Stamford Bridge unraveled catastrophically in the space of 83 seconds. Already on a booking, the Manchester United defender was sent off for two fouls in quick succession during Chelsea's second-half dominance. First, he was penalised for an elbow to Wesley Fofana's face as he attempted to block a corner kick, an incident VAR caught and referee Peter Bankes reviewed on the monitor. The second yellow followed immediately after for a reckless challenge on the same player.

Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 victory with United reduced to 10 men, heaping further pressure on manager Michael Carrick. Former World Cup final official Darren Cann described Martinez's actions as "inexplicable", noting he "jumped into him, making no attempt to play the ball". Carrick acknowledged the red card was "a big moment in the game", though he had not reviewed the incident by full-time. Martinez will miss next Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

Former players were scathing in their assessment. Joe Cole suggested Martinez's time at United "has run its course", while Stephen Warnock highlighted the defender's recent pattern of mistakes. The incident came 18 days after Martinez had publicly criticised United's summer recruitment.