Manchester United v Chelsea: Preview, Team News & Predictions
Two fluctuating Premier League giants – Manchester United and Chelsea – square off at Old Trafford in a mouth-watering midweek fixture on Wednesday, December 6th.
The Red Devils’ topsy-turvy season, marred by conundrums on and off the field, worsened when they lost 1-0 to a spirited Newcastle United side over the weekend. It followed a series of three wins on the trot, sandwiched between several disappointing results in the Champions League. And no prizes for guessing, the mood in the United camp is as damp as the city’s weather.
Chelsea, meanwhile, enjoyed three points against Brighton and Hove Albion, controlling a 3-2 lead after late scares from the visiting side, to record just their second home win of the Premier League season.
Manchester United versus Chelsea is coloured with bitter rivalry and title races. Neither team is where they want to be, and this is what makes the match all-the-more exciting and unpredictable.
The hosts hold the bragging rights of late, being unbeaten in 11 league matches against the Blues.
Also read: Newcastle vs. Manchester United Match Notes
Team News
Manchester United
It’s unsure whether former Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount will play a part, as his start to life at Manchester has been delayed by injury. Nevertheless, he would receive a hostile reception if and when he makes an appearance.
Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans and Tyrell Malacia have no chance of making it, implying that Luke Shaw could partner Harry Maguire again to form the nucleus of the back line.
Rasmus Hojlund, who has yet to score a league goal, could make a start after coming off the bench against Newcastle, while Jadon Sancho continues to be on the club’s fringes.
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino, for once, has a happy headache to make with his back four, as both Reece James and Marc Cucurella are back from suspension. At the same time, Conor Gallagher’s sending off at the weekend means he is set to miss out.
The Chelsea boss was hesitant to risk Cole Palmer heading into the high-voltage game against Brighton. When asked about his team selection, he replied, “He (Palmer) felt something during the week, and we don’t want to take a risk. We have too many games ahead, now we are going into a very busy period, and we don’t want to take a risk.”
Chelsea’s long list of injuries includes Malo Gusto, Romeo Lavia, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku. The latter is most likely to make his debut for the club sooner than later.
Predicted XI
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Shaw, Dalot; McTominay, Mainoo; Rashford, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Match Prediction
There should be goals in this game, with neither side particularly watertight at the back. If Chelsea can expose United’s shortcomings and overload either wing, they’ll come out on top.
The Blues have looked a greater threat all round against the top six, with draws against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City to their credit, along with a 4-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur.
They should be able to pick Manchester United apart, albeit by a narrow margin.
Predicted score: Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Ardfern. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.