Manchester United will face off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a crucial Premier League encounter on Thursday evening.
After beating Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final ahead of the international break, it was thought that the Red Devils would be able to build momentum on that impressive performance.
However, they displayed a lacklustre performance against Brentford last time out. They were completely outplayed by the Bees and would’ve lost the game had Thomas Frank’s side managed to show the cutting edge in front of the goal. But, the game eventually ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Following that result, Man Utd remain in sixth place with 48 points from 29 games, sitting eight points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Finishing in the Fifth place could be enough to play in the Champions League next season. So, it is looking difficult for United to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition next season.
On the other hand, Chelsea have also struggled to showcase their best this season, languishing down at the bottom half of the table at the moment.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be coming into this game after failing to beat 10-man Burnley last weekend. So, they will be low in confidence at the moment just like the Red Devils.
Previous meetings
Man Utd haven’t lost to their Thursday’s opponent since 2017. However, the Red Devils haven’t been able to beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge over the few games, drawing all three.
This is one of the fixtures in the Premier League – which tends to end in a stalemate and it is going to be interesting to see how things unfold in this encounter.
How to watch
The game will kick off at 8:15 PM UK time and the match will be televised live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Match-going supporters can also buy Chelsea vs Man Utd tickets through the club websites or via trusted resellers such as seatsnet.
Team news
Chelsea have been plagued with injury problems this season and there will be several absentees for them in this encounter as well. Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku have all been struggling with their respective problems and they will have to sit out on this game with Lavia’s season reportedly over due to his issue.
In addition, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah are also likely to remain sidelined with their respective injuries this midweek. Malo Gusto picked up an issue last time out and there is a question mark whether he will be available for this game.
As for Man Utd, they have also struggled with several injury issues this season, however, although their situation isn’t as bad as the Blues, they could be without a few key players for this fixture.
Luke Shaw has been ruled out for almost the rest of this season due to a serious injury so he isn’t in contention to feature in midweek. In addition, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial are also set to remain sidelined for this fixture owing to their respective problems.
Amad Diallo was suspended in the last game having picked up a red card against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final due to the removal of his jersey following his late match-winning strike. The youngster was shown a yellow card earlier in the game but he picked up the second one for that. But, his suspension is over and is now ready to feature in this encounter.
Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof sustained problems in the last game against Brentford so they are in doubt ahead of this game. But, Lisandro Martínez has returned from his injury so he could be ready to start.
Predicted line-up
Mauricio Pochettino is expected to go with the 4-2-3-1 formation in this encounter. Dorde Petrovic is likely to continue between the sticks and in front of him, Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile could be the centre-back pairing for the hosts. Axel Disasi could be in the right-back position if Gusto can’t start, while Marc Cucurella might continue on the opposite side.
Moises Caicedo should start alongside Enzo Fernandez in the engine room, pushing Conor Gallagher into the attacking midfield position. Raheem Sterling is likely to be deployed on the left flank with Cole Palmer set to be on the right. Nicolas Jackson is expected to be leading the line for Chelsea in this game.
Expected Chelsea line-up vs Man Utd
Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Marc Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández, Gallagher; Sterling, Jackson, Palmer
As for Man Utd, Ten Hag is also set to field his side in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Andre Onana should continue between the sticks, while Harry Maguire and Martinez could be paired in the centre-back position, starting Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the fullback role.
Mainoo is likely to be in the holding midfield position alongside Casemiro with Bruno Fernandes set to continue in his preferred number ten position. So, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay might have to settle for a place on the bench.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are expected to start on the flanks once again despite a poor display last time out so Diallo and Antony could be on the bench. Rasmus Hojlund is set to commence in the centre-forward position for the Red Devils.
Expected Man Utd line-up vs Chelsea
Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Martínez, Wan-Bissaka; Casemiro, Mainoo, Bruno; Rashford, Hojlund, Garnacho
Key players
Cole Palmer has established himself as a talismanic figure for Chelsea after joining the club last summer. He even scored a brace last time out and the West London club will be hoping that the former Manchester City star will be able to help his side win this game by putting his name on the score-sheet.
As for Man Utd, several of their star players have been out of form this campaign like Rashford and Bruno so they need to prove their doubters wrong by guiding the Red Devils to victory in this encounter.
Prediction
Although Chelsea have struggled to showcase their best this season, none of the top three managed to beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge. So, the hosts will be backing themselves to come away with all three points from this fixture, taking revenge for the defeat of the reverse game.
Man Utd will have to win this game to keep their bleak hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season alive. However, if they can’t improve their performance from the previous game then they will find it difficult to win on Thursday.
This game has a history of finishing in stalemate so this could eventually end in a stalemate. However, it is going to be interesting to see how the game unfolds on the night. Chelsea 2-2 Man Utd
