Manchester United are set to face Chelsea in a big Premier League clash on Wednesday night at Old Trafford. Former European champions are far from where they used to be, but we could still be in for a thrilling night. Here is what you need to know before the match.
Team News
Man United have a long list of players unable to face Chelsea this time. Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo are all still recovering from their respective knee injuries, while Casemiro and Jonny Evans have problems with their thighs. Lisandro Martinez has been out for months now due to his foot injury, while Jadon Sancho has been punished for disciplinary reasons and has been out of the first team for three months now. Interestingly, Mason Mount has recovered from his calf injury, but not sufficiently, so the midfielder will not be ready to face his boyhood club on this occasion. It will be interesting to see whether Erik Ten Hag will make some changes in the starting lineup after a poor showing in Newcastle.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are in a similar situation as United. Knee injuries are keeping out Carney Chukwuemeka, Wesley Fofana and Cristopher Nkunku. Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah have thigh issues, while Malo Gusto is out of contention due to his tendon. Romeo Lavia has an ankle injury, while muscular problems are not letting Noni Madueke nor Lesley Ugochukwu be options for Pochettino. Good news for Chelsea is that Reece James and Marc Cucurella have served their Premier League bans and could feature at Old Trafford.
Form Guide
Manchester United are awaiting the big clash in poor form, after a disastrous last week. The 3-0 win against Everton was good to see 10 days ago, but even then, we said that it was not a performance that gives great confidence and that other teams might exploit United’s weaknesses. That is what Galatasaray first did in Istanbul, clawing their way back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to earn a six-goal draw. Then, it was Newcastle United’s turn to show the Devils just how much better they have to be, beating them 1-0 at St James’ Park but in a match that was much more suited for a bigger difference in the final scoreline. These performances should push Erik Ten Hag’s team to bounce back and try to show their worth against Chelsea.
It is Mauricio Pochettino’s side that could be the perfect opportunity to get a win. This clash used to be the one deciding title winners some years ago, but now Chelsea are in even worse position than the Devils. They are unpredictable, that is for sure. Chelsea were able to hold Arsenal to a 2-2 draw, to beat Spurs 4-1 away from home and to get an insane 4-4 draw against Manchester City. But then again, they managed to lose 2-0 to Brentford at home and get destroyed by Newcastle 4-1. One thing is always for certain with this Chelsea team – it is never boring. It should be like that on Wednesday night as well.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, this one will be a tough one to predict. However, we predict Manchester United will beat Chelsea 3-2 in a frantic, classic Premier League action-packed clash. Both teams are prone to conceding too many goals, losing control of the match and making mistakes all around the pitch, but we pick United to still win as they have been more consistent in the Premier League so far this season.
Leave a Reply