Manchester United's awful start to the Premier League season continued with a 2-0 away loss to Chelsea in a crucial league clash, leaving United in joint 18th place with just seven points from nine matches.

Nothing could separate the two sides in the first half, as Chelsea had a goal ruled out for offside, while Bruno Fernandes, who was reinstated to the starting lineup, also missed an excellent chance.

Then United had a goal chalked off, with Matheus Cunha marginally offside in the 33rd minute. Amad missed a couple of good chances but couldn't convert either, as the first half ended goalless.

However, United looked like a shadow of themselves in the second half, with Morgan Rogers scoring a great solo goal in the 50th minute, before Lisandro Martínez was sent off after two yellow cards in quick succession, and giving away a penalty in the process, which Cole Palmer expectedly scored to put the home side up 2-0.

Chelsea tried to turn the screw after having the man advantage, with Estevao thinking he had scored the side's third, but it was once again ruled out for offside. Chelsea controlled the remainder of the game and came out as deserved 2-0 winners.

While Manchester United's performances on the pitch have been far from up to standard, there has also been drama off the pitch, with players publicly criticising both the club and Michael Carrick in recent weeks.

The first came from Lisandro Martínez, who, after United's defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, publicly criticised the club's lack of investment in the side in his post-match conference, 

With Martínez gaining respect within the fanbase for speaking out about the club's problems, that goodwill quickly deteriorated after his embarrassing display against Chelsea, where he picked up two yellow cards within a couple of minutes, completely derailing a promising first-half performance for the away side.

With the player's contract expiring at the end of this season, AS reports that both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have been monitoring the Argentinian centre-back's situation at Manchester United.

Christian Romero, who moved to Atletico in the summer, expressed his desire to partner with Martínez at the Madrid club, as the pair have enjoyed a strong partnership for Argentina.

Inter Milan, Como, and AS Roma have also reportedly expressed interest in the 28-year-old, leaving the centre-back with plenty of suitors as he looks for his next club.

Since making the switch from Ajax to Manchester United, Lisandro Martínez's time at Old Trafford has been plagued with injuries, making 119 appearances for United since joining in the summer of 2022.

When the centre-back was sent off at Chelsea, Michael Carrick didn't even look at the 28-year-old as he walked down the tunnel, and these developments could have major repercussions on his United future.

His contract expires at the end of this season, though he has an option to extend it by a further year. Despite this, reports indicate that he will leave at the end of this campaign, with neither party wanting to exercise the option until 2028, meaning Martínez can negotiate with a new club from January.

After previous reports indicated that the centre-back wanted to secure a new deal on improved terms at Old Trafford, following his World Cup win with Argentina in his first season at the club, negotiations have failed to make any meaningful progress, and it now looks like he has had a change of heart, and United should look to sell him in the winter window to recoup some of the £48.5 million the club paid for him four years ago.