Manchester United slump continues as Carrick laments: "No words can change this"

Since then, United have crashed out of the EFL Cup against Brighton, suffered Champions League defeats to Atletico Madrid (0-2) and Como (1-4), and collected a bleak 0-4-3 record across their last seven Premier League outings. They currently hover above Crystal Palace, the first team in the relegation zone, solely on goal difference.

Manager Michael Carrick recalled captain Bruno Fernandes to the starting XI at Stamford Bridge, after the Portuguese midfielder was dropped following criticism against Bournemouth. However, the experienced playmaker was unable to turn the tide. Following a goalless first half where both sides created promising chances, the deadlock was finally broken after the break courtesy of a stunning solo run by Morgan Rogers, who carved his way past several defenders.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez picked up a booking on the hour mark and was swiftly shown a second yellow shortly after for bringing down Wesley Fofana inside the penalty box. The resulting red card, coupled with a clinical Cole Palmer penalty, effectively put the game to bed.

"It had a huge impact on the match; it was the turning point," Carrick admitted. Down to ten men, United offered little threat of a comeback and were fortunate not to concede a third in the 71st minute when Estevao had a goal disallowed for offside.

According to English media, the defeat has piled immense pressure on Carrick. "You always have to keep moving forward and look ahead. You only achieve that by winning games. It’s as simple as that. There are no words that can change things right now. We just have to move on and start winning," Carrick stated.

The victory cemented Chelsea's place in the top four, moving them to 16 points from nine matches (5-1-3). Manager Xabi Alonso was delighted to see his side provide the perfect response to their 2-0 defeat away at Liverpool the previous weekend.

"It was an intense first half where both sides had good spells and chances. We addressed a few things at the break, and our performance in the second half was significantly better. Once we took the lead, we controlled the game. We needed to be cleaner in possession and cut out mistakes. From then on, we looked far more comfortable," Alonso said, as quoted by Aol.com.