Roy Keane has backed Chelsea to beat Manchester United when the two sides lock horns in a must-win top-five six-pointer this weekend.
The Blues are preparing to welcome United to Stamford Bridge this weekend, with their hopes of securing Champions League football hanging by a thread.
Chelsea have fallen off the wagon over the past few months. Liam Rosenior’s troops couldn’t have picked the worst time to drop form, with the top-five race heading to the wire.
The Blues have recorded just one win from their last six games across all competitions (L5).
That came against League One side Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter final, with Rosenior’s side running out 7-0 winners on home turf to set up a semi-final clash with Leeds United.
Chelsea are set to welcome United on the back of a humiliating 3-0 defeat against title-chasing Manchester City.
That made it back-to-back losses at the Bridge after their previous 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United and their third consecutive Premier League setback.
Chelsea’s recent drop-off has left them trailing Liverpool by four points in the race to clinch the final Champions League slot, and another defeat against United could obliterate their faint hopes.
Despite Chelsea’s woeful form, Keane believes United have ‘no chance’ of leaving London with maximum points and backed the Blues to secure a 2-1 victory.
When giving his opinion on the likely outcome of Saturday’s box office showdown on The Overlap, Keane said: “I think Chelsea will beat United” before going on to predict the scoreline.
United are coming into this fixture in much better form, although they lost 2-1 to Leeds in their most recent Premier League outing.
Interim manager Michael Carrick is also facing a defensive crisis with Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire suspended, while Matthijs de Ligt is out injured.
Kobbie Mainoo is also unavailable, so Carrick will have some tough choices to make this weekend.
