Manchester United's winless run extended to nine games in all competitions as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds thought they'd taken the lead through Matheus Cunha, but his goal was disallowed for offside in the first half, before Morgan Rogers ran through the spine of the team and dinked the ball over Senne Lammens early in the second half to break the deadlock.

Lisandro Martinez was then shown two yellow cards in four minutes, including a second for a ridiculous challenge on Wesley Fofana from a corner, with the referee awarding a penalty, which Cole Palmer duly converted. The Blues were then dominant for the rest of the game and saw Estevao have a goal disallowed, as they claimed all three points and left Man Utd in 16th having played a game more than everyone else.

Michael Carrick was the man in the dugout, rather surprisingly, considering the recent form, but United's hierarchy had opted to give him extra time to try and turn things around.

The first half performance made the decision look good, too, as United could easily have been a few goals ahead after big chances by Bruno Fernandes and Amad were missed wildly. But the opportunity to build momentum in the second half was taken away by Martinez's ridiculous decision to launch himself at Fofana.

The Argentina defender's first yellow card was for a blatant tug on Morgan Rogers to try and halt a counter attack, and while not the best decision, it could be forgiven.

But the forearm smash on Fofana in the penalty area without even looking at the ball, just minutes after the first card, is evidence enough that he should never pull the red shirt on ever again.

Martinez is out of contract at the end of the season, and Man Utd have the option to extend it by a further 12 months. But if INEOS, Carrick or whoever is in charge of the club have any sense, they will look to move him on as soon as possible after his idiotic meltdown at Stamford Bridge.

Martinez Must Leave in January

Martinez has already been in the headlines for calling out Man Utd technical director Jason Wilcox recently, and he was forced to publicly apologise as a result. Many fans backed him for his callout, with the belief that Wilcox isn't fit to do the job he's employed for.

But any support he had from fans in the stands has surely evaporated now, after he cost the team once again with his antics on the pitch. It's very evident that he doesn't want to be there anymore, and if he's going to continue costing the team then he should leave.

United have the chance to make things right in January by finding him a route out of Old Trafford and replacing him, or trusting the current options in Harry Maguire, Matthijs De Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Ayden Heaven to fill the hole between now and the end of the campaign.

Even if they can't find somewhere for him to go, United must make it clear: Passengers and troublemakers will not be tolerated. Martinez should never get the honour of wearing the shirt ever again, and an exit must be sought by all involved as soon as possible.