Chelsea -v- Manchester United
Premier League
Stamford Bridge, London
Thursday 4 April 2023, KO 20:15 BST
Manchester United travel to London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday evening. United manager Erik ten Hag will be seeking a change in fortunes for his side, who should welcome some players back to the starting XI following a late injury crisis at the club.
Chelsea will also need a change in fortunes after spending around £1 billion in the last four transfer windows and languishing in 11th place in the league with just 40 points in 28 matches this season, which is terrible after the amount of money that has been spent.
United still sit outside the top four at this important stage of the season and will need to push in all of their matches to get the desired results to change the outcome of their season. There is a lot of speculation right now and this United squad will have to overcome that and grind out results.
United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists
Brentford 1-1 D, Liverpool 4-3 W, Everton 2-0 W, City 3-1 L, Forest 1-0 W, Fulham 2-1 L
Goals: 13 – Rasmus Hojlund, 9 – Scott McTominay, 8 – Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, 7 – Alejandro Garnacho, 5 – Casemiro, 2 – Antony, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Anthony Martial, 1 – Amad Diallo, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Hannibal Mejbri, Mason Mount, Raphael Varane
Assists: 9 – Bruno Fernandes, 5 – Marcus Rashford, 4 – Alejandro Garnacho, 3 – Casemiro, Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay, 2 – Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 1 – Antony, Jonny Evans, Omari Forson, Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martínez, Mason Mount, Facundo Pellistri, Luke Shaw
Chelsea – Form, Goals Scored & Assists
Burnley 2-2 D, Leicester 4-2 W, Newcastle 3-2 W, Brentford 2-2 D, Leeds 3-2 W, Liverpool 1-0 L
Goals: 16 – Cole Palmer, 12 – Nicolas Jackson, 8 – Raheem Sterling, 7 – Enzo Fernández, 6 – Mykhailo Mudryk, 5 – Noni Madueke, 4 – Conor Gallagher, 3 – Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, 2 – Armando Broja, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, 1 – Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella
Assists: 12 – Cole Palmer, 8 – Malo Gusto, 7 – Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, 4 – Nicolas Jackson, 3 – Moisés Caicedo, 2 – Enzo Fernández, Mykhailo Mudryk, 1 – Benoît Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Noni Madueke
Previous Meetings & Connections
United and Chelsea have met 63 times in the Premier League. United have won 19 times, drawn 26 times and lost to Chelsea just 18 times. United have scored 81 goals, winning seven penalties and scoring five. Chelsea have scored 76 goals, winning four penalties, scoring all of them.
United have kept 16 clean sheets in these matches with Chelsea keeping 19. This is a fixture that discipline will always be an issue with. United players have been shown 142 yellow cards and four red cards. Chelsea players have been shown 142 yellow cards and six red cards.
Nemanja Matić, Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Radamel Falcao, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mark Bosnich, Mark Hughes, Paul Parker, George Graham, Mal Donaghy and Ray Wilkins have played for both United and Chelsea in the history of both clubs.
Team News
Victor Lindelof (hamstring), Lisandro Martinez (calf), Luke Shaw (thigh), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Anthony Martial (groin) have all been ruled out of the clash with Chelsea on Thursday. It is a major problem for United, who just don’t seem to get a break from injuries.
Altay Bayindir (muscle strain), Jonny Evans (other) and Raphael Varane (other) all have 25% chances of finding fitness ahead of the Chelsea match on Thursday. It could well be that none of them will be available with the Liverpool clash at the weekend likely to be a better chance for the trio.
Wesley Fofana (knee), Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Malo Gusto (all thigh), Carney Chukwuemeka (other), Levi Colwill (ankle/foot), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah (both other) are all injured. Ben Chilwell is a doubt.
Predicted United Starting XI – 4-2-3-1
Onana;
Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Dalot;
Casemiro, Mainoo;
Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford;
Hojlund
Predicted Chelsea Starting XI – 4-2-3-1
Petrovic;
Gilchrist, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella;
Caicedo, Fernandez;
Palmer, Gallagher, Mudryk;
Jackson
Match Prediction
United should be able to get the better of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They are a team of highly paid underachievers who have cost their club a lot of money. It is something that does not get talked about half as much as it should because United are in the spotlight all of the time.
Chelsea have spent more than £1 billion in four transfer windows and look set to finish yet another Premier League season as a mid table club. Which with all due respect is what they have become. Lots of money to spent but no real method in place whilst spending it.
United should seek to play on Chelsea’s weak aspects, of which there are many. They have some great players at the club and some great talent but he ability to work as a team and strive to get results is worse than what this United team have – and that is saying something.
Chelsea 1-2 Manchester United
Written by Paul
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