Red card, three subs & Palmer injured - how Chelsea unravelled

One player sent off, two goals conceded, three substitutions and the recurrence of a groin injury for Cole Palmer.

Chelsea unravelled in the first half at Old Trafford, setting the platform for a 2-1 defeat by Manchester United.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca admitted his gameplan went "in the bin" after just four minutes when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was dismissed for bringing down Bryan Mbeumo.

That led to an early reshuffle with Maresca making two substitutions, before Bruno Fernandes fired United in front after 14 minutes.

Defender Trevoh Chalobah called the start the "worst 15 minutes" Chelsea have played this season.

It was to get even worse for Maresca's side with talisman Palmer forced off in the 21st minute.

The chaotic first half was the first in Premier League history to feature two or more goals, two red cards and three substitutions, after Casemiro - who had doubled the hosts' lead - was also dismissed.

Chalobah pulled a goal back after the break and the Blues threatened to equalise late on, but were left rueing their first-half display.

Sanchez took out Mbeumo just four minutes and one second into the match to receive Chelsea's earliest red card in the Premier League.

"It was rough... the red card [would be] difficult not only for Chelsea, it [would be] difficult for any club," said Maresca.

"After the red card, all the planning and everything doesn't exist any more."

Maresca said afterwards he would have preferred to go a goal down than lose his goalkeeper.

"It's the best solution, because we are still 95 minutes to play," he said.

"I think even Robert is aware of that, but also it's difficult because he has to take a decision in one second or two seconds."

The Italian manager took off two attackers in Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian for replacement goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and defender Tosin Adarabioyo after Sanchez was sent off.

The change effectively left Chelsea with a back five, three midfielders and just Joao Pedro in attack.

Maresca explained why he had made such a defensive reaction to the dismissal, saying: "We needed to defend with five players - we can defend with four when we are 11 v 11."

However, that decision looked like a mistake when Fernandes opened the scoring and Palmer then went off injured.

When Andrey Santos replaced the England playmaker 21 minutes into the match it was the earliest any team in Premier League history had made their first three substitutions.

Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in the first half as Casemiro put United 2-0 up.

However, the Brazil midfielder's ill-timed lunge just before the break left both sides down to 10 men.

Chalobah managed to pull a goal back in the 80th minute but it only proved to be a consolation for the Blues, who suffered a second successive defeat in what has been a tough week of away fixtures.

They drew at Brentford last weekend before losing to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.

Saturday's loss at Old Trafford leaves Chelsea sixth in the top-flight table, and they will hope to avoid a prolonged absence for star man Palmer.

This was only Palmer's second start since returning from a previous groin injury, which initially flared up during the shortened two-week pre-season after Chelsea won the Club World Cup.

When asked about Palmer, Maresca added: "It's a problem that it's already a long time for him...

"He did this morning a test, he wanted to play this game for the team... so the effort has been huge from him, but then after 20 minutes he started to feel something, so we decided to change him."

Maresca previously expressed concerns about what Chelsea's month-long stint in the United States over the summer would mean for the fitness of his players.

Any lengthy absence for Palmer will be difficult to deal with, while losing Sanchez to a one-match suspension and a winless week pose further problems.