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Ratings: Sancho scored second goal in a week to earn Chelsea draw; De Gea’s saves kept United in the match

28 November 2021 by

Manchester United drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. David De Gea’s heroics saved United in the opening stages of the match after a defensive error but the away side then grew into the match. Jadon Sancho’s interception of Jorginho saw the opening goal come in the 50th minute of the match, his second goal for the club, both scored this week. A penalty decision gave Chelsea a lifeline with Jorginho scoring from the spot, correcting his earlier error. United tried their luck, as did Chelsea to find a winner in this match but it was not meant to be. Arsenal travel to Old Trafford on Thursday evening.

his was not the best start for United. Almost right away, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelöf combined terribly which resulted in David De Gea having to make a fine save to deny Chelsea. Under their new manager, this team is going to be challenged to improve, something which some of them will not be able to achieve. De Gea made a fair few saves in the first half, which was not great for either side to be blatantly honest. United had something to build on with the fact they had not conceded to this Chelsea side. Carrick will have been pleased with what he had seen so far and United seem to have started turning another corner.

Chelsea ended the first half with the lion’s share of possession (67.7%) having 10 shots in total with four of those on target. United were yet to have a shot on target, having just one shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes of the match. Carrick will need to tweak a few things in the second half to change that, as it would seem this match is up for the taking with Chelsea not in a position to punish United, not at this stage at least. Bringing on the likes of Donny van de Beek, Mason Greenwood and Cristiano Ronaldo could see United prevail, which is what United need to be doing in this match to properly turn a corner.

There were no changes at the start of the second half for either team. Marcus Rashford was booked in the 49th minute, the second player to be booked with Scott McTominay booked in the last minute of the first half. In the 50th minute, United took the lead with Jadon Sancho intercepting the ball from Jorginho in the midfield and busting a gut with Marcus Rashford to get forward with only the goalkeeper to beat. Rashford wanted to receive the ball to score but Sancho beat the keeper, scoring his second goal for United days after scoring his first. United deserved this lead and needed to ensure they kept it.

In the 64th minute of the match, Carrick made his first substitution with Cristiano Ronaldo replacing the goalscorer, Sancho, who had not been moving well in the last few minuted before the change. Chelsea now needed to be wary of a defeat as Ronaldo’s movement and skill on and off the ball could cost them another goal, which is something United needed to get as they have lost winning positions in this manner before. Chelsea had been trying to get back into the match, but their chances were rather tame by their own standards, which was even better to see as a United supporter. It was not a long-lived lead though.

United conceded a penalty in the 67th minute of the match after Thiago Silva went down in the box after being kicked in the ankle. Jorginho made up for his earlier mistake to put Chelsea level from the spot with De Gea diving in the wrong direction. It was a big goal for Chelsea and a pretty soft penalty to be given, but we live in a time where footballers enjoy acting more than actually being hurt. Chelsea because resurgent to find a goal to put them ahead after the penalty, but United did all they could to avert another goal being conceded in quick succession. Carrick will have been thinking about further chances to make for United.

Jesse Lingard replaced Rashford in the 77th minute of the match, the second substitution for United. At the same time, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount replaced Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marcos Alonso. Chelsea had hard luck on goal pressing United, then saw De Gea make another save to deny them. In the 82nd minute, Romelu Lukaku replaced Timo Werner with Chelsea looking for a winner. Donny van de Beek replaced Bruno Fernandes in the 89th minute of the match with the game still at a deadlock. Scott McTominay seemed injured in the last minute of the match but after some treatment he was fine. He was named Man of the Match by Sky.

It was a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, which is a positive result for United, who have been mocked by the media ahead of this match. United have not yet fully turned the corner but these steps over the past week are positive ones. Next up will be Arsenal at the Theatre of Dreams on Thursday evening, a match which is broadcast live by Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom. It is possible that this was Carrick’s final match in charge of United with Ralf Rangnick on his way to becoming United fifth manager, seventh if you include Ryan Giggs and Carrick following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. A point is a point, it’s not a win but it will do.

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

Made more than his fair share of saves against Chelsea. Could not save the penalty that was awarded, but continued with more saves to keep United in the match.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Made an early error which could have seen Chelsea through, along with Lindelof but De Gea made the save. Needs some more improvement and a raise in form to finally kick on, but that will take time under new management.

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2 Victor Lindelof

Combined with Wan-Bissaka in an early error which almost cost United, if it was not for a De Gea save. Was pretty solid in his defending from there though. Will be better with either Varane or Maguire alongside him.

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3 Eric Bailly

Good to see this Bailly back, not the one prone to errors. It was a big distance between the Bailly who played against City and the one that showed up today. His confidence should have been boosted from this performance.

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27 Alex Telles

A disciplined performance from the Brazilian. It was his first start in the Premier League since May. Shaw could be back in his position later this week though, if all is well with him.

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17 Fred

The Brazilian has improved significantly in the last two matches. Seems to have found his feet. I have a feeling that he will be a big game player under a new manager. He was tepid at the start and grew into the game. His chance at the end of the match was poor though, he could have played to ball to a teammate or ensure he chipped the goalkeeper. Hindsight is fantastic though.

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31 Nemanja Matic

Read the game well and was disciplined back at the stadium he use to play home matches at. Good to see him play positively when United were seemingly at rock bottom in terms of confidence.

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39 Scott McTominay

Made little impact at either end of the pitch and was the first player to be booked in the match. Sky named him the MOTM for this performance, which was largely positive with him battling away in the midfield.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

Played a role in Sancho's goal, but Jorginho's mistake helped to create the goal. Perhaps should have been on the bench from the start as in terms of impact, he had very little. Replaced by Van de Beek in the 89th minute.

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25 Jadon Sancho

Scored his second goal for the club, both in the same week, to put United ahead in the 50th minute of the match. Showed quick thinking in intercepting the ball from Jorginho, running towards the goalkeeper with Rashford with him, not passing the ball and going for goal, scoring it. He was not moving well minutes later and was replaced by Ronaldo in the 64th minute.

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10 Marcus Rashford

It was a quiet game for Rashford. He helped Sancho with a chance in the first half, but other than running with him when he scored, his involvement was minimal. He was replaced by Lingard in the 77th minute.

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Substitutes

7 Cristiano Ronaldo

Replaced Sancho 64'. Did not see much of the ball, but in what he had, he tried. Should have perhaps started, but this gamble seemingly paid off.

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14 Jesse Lingard

Replaced Rashford 77'. Brought energy onto the pitch but that was it for him. Needs to offer more if he is to win his place in this team, especially under a new manager.

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34 Donny van de Beek

Replaced Fernandes 89'. Came on late and did all he could, but he was not on long enough to create much.

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Goals: Jorginho 69′ penalty; Jadon Sancho 50′

Assists: N/A

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Bailly, Telles; Fred, Matic, McTominay; Fernandes (Van de Beek 89′); Sancho (Ronaldo 64′), Rashford (Lingard 77′)

Substitutes Not Used: Henderson; Jones, Dalot; Mata, Van de Beek; Martial, Greenwood

Bookings: Reece James 53′, Jorginho 90+5′; Scott McTominay 45′, Marcus Rashford 49′, Bruno Fernandes 77′, Cristiano Ronaldo 90+2′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: Sancho and Rashford lead the line against Chelsea; Ronaldo and Van de Beek on the bench

28 November 2021 by

Manchester United return to Premier League action this afternoon as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. United have not won in the league since they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at the end of October, previously winning in the league in mid-September when they beat West Ham United 2-1. United’s poor form saw the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked after the 4-1 defeat to Watford last weekend with Michael Carrick taking the reigns temporarily. Carrick led United to a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, seeing his side top the group and earning a place in the knockout stages this season.

Ralf Rangnick is expected to sign a six month deal to be United’s interim manager for the remainder of the season, then take up a two-year consultancy spell at the club.Because of the need for a work permit in the United Kingdom, which will not be in action before Sunday’s match, it is expected that Rangnick will take charge of his first United fixture on Thursday with United taking on Arsenal at Old Trafford in a match that will be live on Amazon Prime in the UK. United are expected to endure a few days training with the interim manager, which should hopefully see United adopt a better playing style post-Solskjaer.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Bailly, Telles;

Fred, Matic, McTominay;

Fernandes;

Sancho, Rashford

Substitutes:

Henderson; Jones, Dalot; Mata, Lingard, Van de Beek; Ronaldo, Martial, Greenwood

Chelsea:

Mendy;

Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger;

James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso;

Ziyech, Werner, Hudson-Odoi

Substitutes:

Arrizabalaga; Christensen, Azpilicueta; Barkley, Politic, Niguez, Mount, Havertz; Lukaku

United and Chelsea have met a total of 58 times in the history of the Premier League. United have won 17 times, drawn 23 times with Chelsea winning the remaining 18 matches. United have scored 72 goals, winning five penalties and scoring four of them. Chelsea have scored 71 goals, winning two penalties and scoring both of them. United have kept a total of 16 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 19. United players have been shown a total of 128 yellow cards and four red cards in this fixture with Chelsea players shown a total of 137 yellow cards and six red cards. This is going to be a fiery encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

There is a rather vast history between United and Chelsea with many players donning the shirts of both clubs. Currently, both Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata have played for both and are in with a chance of featuring against their former club this weekend. Romelu Lukaku could feature against United for the first time since he left the Theatre of Dreams – he re-signed for Chelsea in the summer. Radamel Falcao, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mark Bosnich, Mark Hughes, Paul Parker, George Graham, Mal Donaghy and the late Ray Wilkins, a player both sets of supporters will hold immense respect for, have also featured for both clubs in the past.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Predicted XI: [4-3-3] Ronaldo, Rashford and Sancho to lead the attack against Chelsea? Fernandes, Van de Beek and McTominay in midfield?

27 November 2021 by

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. United have not won in the league since they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at the end of October, previously winning in the league in mid-September when they beat West Ham United 2-1. United’s poor form saw the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked after the 4-1 defeat to Watford last weekend with Michael Carrick taking the reigns temporarily. Carrick led United to a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, seeing his side top the group and earning a place in the knockout stages this season.

Ralf Rangnick is expected to sign a six month deal to be United’s interim manager for the remainder of the season, then take up a two-year consultancy spell at the club.Because of the need for a work permit in the United Kingdom, which will not be in action before Sunday’s match, it is expected that Rangnick will take charge of his first United fixture on Thursday with United taking on Arsenal at Old Trafford in a match that will be live on Amazon Prime in the UK. United are expected to endure a few days training with the interim manager, which should hopefully see United adopt a better playing style post-Solskjaer.

Previous meetings with Chelsea and their connections with Manchester United.

United and Chelsea have met a total of 58 times in the history of the Premier League. United have won 17 times, drawn 23 times with Chelsea winning the remaining 18 matches. United have scored 72 goals, winning five penalties and scoring four of them. Chelsea have scored 71 goals, winning two penalties and scoring both of them. United have kept a total of 16 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 19. United players have been shown a total of 128 yellow cards and four red cards in this fixture with Chelsea players shown a total of 137 yellow cards and six red cards. This is going to be a fiery encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

There is a rather vast history between United and Chelsea with many players donning the shirts of both clubs. Currently, both Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata have played for both and are in with a chance of featuring against their former club this weekend. Romelu Lukaku could feature against United for the first time since he left the Theatre of Dreams – he re-signed for Chelsea in the summer. Radamel Falcao, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mark Bosnich, Mark Hughes, Paul Parker, George Graham, Mal Donaghy and the late Ray Wilkins, a player both sets of supporters will hold immense respect for, have also featured for both clubs in the past.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon…

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

David De Gea should start against Chelsea. There is no denying that he has improved this season. He has saved penalties, which was a problem for him last season and his confidence has risen. That is what United need in their goalkeeper. He kept his third clean sheet of the season against Villarreal, which should be the starting point for United getting their season back on track. Chelsea sit top of the league at the time of writing and United sit in eighth place, 12 points adrift of the league leaders. Nine points separate United and Manchester City in second place with eight points between them and Liverpool in third.

For almost two months now, United have struggled to grind out results in the Premier League, falling short more often than not, which ended the management career of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Since beating West Ham United on the 19 September, in which De Gea saved a last-minute penalty, the club has picked up just four points out of a possible 21, which could have seen them as the Premier League leaders if they had collected them. Hindsight is fantastic but just sometimes, it is something that needs to be viewed. For years now, poor form has cost United succeeding post-Ferguson. Winning the Premier League title is important for this club.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles

United’s defence will be much weaker for this match against Chelsea. Harry Maguire is suspended for this match after being sent off against Watford last week and Raphael Varane is still injured. This means that Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones (if he can be risked) will be the players vying for the central defensive positions. Luke Shaw is also coming from that second head injury, so might still be a risk, which means Alex Telles could start again, which is why he has been chosen here. Aaron Wan-Bissaka will keep his right-back position but will need to start pulling performances out of the bag – recently he has not been all that good.

I think Lindelof will keep his place and will be boosted in confidence after that 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Tuesday evening, also keeping a clean sheet, which is something of a rarity for United this season. Eric Bailly could be drafted in to partner the Swede against Chelsea which is a 50/50 for most as Bailly can put in great performances but can also put in very poor performances. That said, he can be rash at times and having a mad heat on the pitch might not be the best against Chelsea. United need to kick on here and getting three points in the bag will be a big boost ahead of a December which will be packed with matches.

Midfield: Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Bruno Fernandes

United’s midfield needs some reinforcement during the January transfer window but for now, the players that are already at the club will have to do. Paul Pogba is out injured, which could see him out of action until next year, although that has not yet been confirmed. Against Chelsea, United will need to play well in this area and with Fred currently being a doubt, I would imagine that Scott McTominay will start, unless Fred is fit to start, which would allow both Donny van de Beek and Bruno Fernandes to start in a 4-3-3 formation, which could be changed at points in the match with United on the attack compared to them defending.

Van de Beek played well against Watford, scoring his first goal of the season, which will hopefully be his first of many. United could really get somewhere with the midfield sorted, which would allow them to push and dominate their opposition, which is a problem they have been having this season. Fernandes is a player that has helped United out time and time again with some sections of the support suggesting that he’s not needed at the club, calling him a stat-padder, which seems a strange thing to say based on what he has given United since he signed almost two years ago now. This midfield is good but could be so much better.

Forward: Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford

United have a great selection of attacking players in the squad this season but they have not been used to their strengths so far, which is a shame. Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday evening as the club beat Villarreal 2-0 in the penultimate Champions League group stage match, winning their group and earning a place in the knockout stages later in the season. The winger is a great talent to have but his start at the club was not the best, because of injury, lack of form and the poor predicament United were in. It will get better for him and United. He should start on the right-wing, pulling back into right midfield when needed.

Marcus Rashford should start on the left-wing, a position he has excelled in in recent seasons and with a bit of form and confidence, he could go back to being the player he has been in recent seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his tenth goal of the season against Villarreal which was also his 799th career goal. He is going to be seeing to get that 800th goal against Chelsea on Sunday, which would be a great day for him and United, especially if United can take all three points in the match. These three players have so much talent, and eye for goals and great determination, which could be good for United if they all end up working well together.

Substitutes: Dean Henderson; Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw; Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Fred, Nemanja Matic; Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo

The bench will be depleted for this matches based on the injuries and suspensions but Carrick will have to ensure he has what could be needed on the bench to get a result against Chelsea. That said, any player given a chance, whether from the bench or starting the match will need to put in their best performance as their new manager will be watching and I am sure that he will be taking notes and speak to those not pulling their weight, which will give him a few conversations. Dean Henderson will be the goalkeeper on the bench for this match as I can’t see De Gea being benched as he is in good form ahead of this match, boosted by another clean sheet.

Defensively, United have a problem with no experienced central defenders, unless they are going to risk Phil Jones, which will be a doubt as he could get injured again. That means they will have just Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, if he is fit enough to play a part this weekend following his head injury. In midfield, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Fred, if fit and Nemanja Matic could all be called upon if needed. Both McTominay and Matic have played in a back four before, not that it is ideal, so there are options if the worst should happen. In attack, Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo could be called upon to strengthen the attack, should they be needed.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Preview: Carrick to set United up for a victory over Chelsea? With Rangnick getting closer, spirits will rise

26 November 2021 by

Chelsea -v- Manchester United

Premier League

Stamford Bridge, London

Sunday 28 November 2021, KO 16:30 GMT

Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn

Fourth Official: David Coote

VAR: Chris Kavanagh Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. United have not won in the league since they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at the end of October, previously winning in the league in mid-September when they beat West Ham United 2-1. United’s poor form saw the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked after the 4-1 defeat to Watford last weekend with Michael Carrick taking the reigns temporarily. Carrick led United to a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, seeing his side top the group and earning a place in the knockout stages this season.

Ralf Rangnick is expected to sign a six month deal to be United’s interim manager for the remainder of the season, then take up a two-year consultancy spell at the club.Because of the need for a work permit in the United Kingdom, which will not be in action before Sunday’s match, it is expected that Rangnick will take charge of his first United fixture on Thursday with United taking on Arsenal at Old Trafford in a match that will be live on Amazon Prime in the UK. United are expected to endure a few days training with the interim manager, which should hopefully see United adopt a better playing style post-Solskjaer.

Manchester United – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: WLLDWL

Villarreal 2-0 W, Watford 4-1 L, Manchester City 2-0 L, Atalanta 2-2 D, Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 W, Liverpool 5-0 L

Goals: 10 – Cristiano Ronaldo, 4 – Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, 3 – Marcus Rashford, 2 – Jesse Lingard, 1 – Edinson Cavani, Fred, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho, Alex Telles, Donny van de Beek

Assists: 9 – Bruno Fernandes, 7 – Paul Pogba, 2 – Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luke Shaw, 1 – Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Raphael Varane

Chelsea – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: WWDWWW

Juventus 4-0 W, Leicester City 3-0 W, Burnley 1-1 D, Malmo FF 1-0 W, Newcastle United 3-0 W, Southampton 1-1 (4-3 penalties) W

Goals: 5 – Reece James, 4 – Kai Havertz, Romelu Lukaku, 3 – Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Jorginho, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, 2 – Callum Hudson-Odoi, N’Golo Kanté, Christian Pulisic, Antonio Rüdiger, 1 – Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen, Mateo Kovacic, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech

Assists: 5 – Reece James, Mateo Kovacic, 3 – César Azpilicueta, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hakim Ziyech, 2 – Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, 1 – Marcos Alonso, Ben Chilwell, Jorginho, Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Timo Werner

Previous meetings with Chelsea and their connections with Manchester United.

United and Chelsea have met a total of 58 times in the history of the Premier League. United have won 17 times, drawn 23 times with Chelsea winning the remaining 18 matches. United have scored 72 goals, winning five penalties and scoring four of them. Chelsea have scored 71 goals, winning two penalties and scoring both of them. United have kept a total of 16 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 19. United players have been shown a total of 128 yellow cards and four red cards in this fixture with Chelsea players shown a total of 137 yellow cards and six red cards. This is going to be a fiery encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

There is a rather vast history between United and Chelsea with many players donning the shirts of both clubs. Currently, both Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata have played for both and are in with a chance of featuring against their former club this weekend. Romelu Lukaku could feature against United for the first time since he left the Theatre of Dreams – he re-signed for Chelsea in the summer. Radamel Falcao, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mark Bosnich, Mark Hughes, Paul Parker, George Graham, Mal Donaghy and the late Ray Wilkins, a player both sets of supporters will hold immense respect for, have also featured for both clubs in the past.

Team News: United could have up to seven players out of action with four already ruled out; Chelsea have two players ruled out and a further two subject to late fitness tests.

Paul Pogba (Thigh), Mason Greenwood (Illness) and Raphael Varane (Thigh) have all been ruled out of the clash with Chelsea due to injury. Harry Maguire is suspended followings red card against Watford last weekend. This will cause some problems for Carrick regarding the defence as he has few options with Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Teden Mengi. Edinson Cavani (Tendon) has a 25% chance of featuring for United, which is also the same for Luke Shaw (Head) but Fred (Ankle) has a 50% chance of featuring, which could be necessary for United as they have a depleted midfield at this time. This is a big game for United.

Ben Chilwell (Knee) and Mateo Kovacic (Thigh) have been ruled out of the visit of United to Stamford Bridge on Sunday – not that Chelsea will be worried as they have a good squad to replace them with. N’Golo Kante (Knee) has a 25% chance of featuring for Chelsea this weekend, which will be a blow for them. Of course, there is a chance he could be involved in some respect. Kai Havertz (Thigh) has a 75% chance of featuring for Chelsea, which is a much better chance than Kante, so it would be likely that he is involved at some point in the match. Thomas Tuchel will be seeking to continue Chelsea’s great start to the season; United will need to be wary.

Predicted Starting XI: Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to lead the line against Chelsea; midfield three to support the attack and defence?

Carrick will need to work with the squad he has ahead of this match with injury and suspension hampering his team selection at this time. United played well in the 2-0 victory over Villarreal earlier in the week, despite United being cautious a lot of the time, especially before the opening goal of the match. Chelsea will be a different kind of opposition as they can devastate with their attacking line, even with the fact that many of the clubs stars seem to have been benched by firing players at this time. It just shows that Thomas Tuchel is doing at the club which is something that Rangnick could instil at United when he takes charge of the squad.

I would expect David De Gea to keep his place in the squad for this match, but moving forward, Dean Henderson could be trusted by Rangnick so the Spaniard will need to show his ability. In defence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, despite not having a good performance on Tuesday, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Alex Telles will complete the back four. This is not ideal against Chelsea but will have to do. Perhaps Raphaël Varane could be fit enough for the bench – here’s hoping. In midfield, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek and Bruno Fernandes should all be involved. In attack, Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho could start.

Match Prediction: United have not been beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since the 5 November 2017 with United earning three wins and two draws in the last five visits. That is not all that bad, considering.

Last season, United and Chelsea battled out two 0-0 draws at both Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford. They were not the results that anyone had wanted but it just showed how Chelsea had improved from the previous season. United were last beaten by Chelsea in the Emirates FA Cup semi-final from the 2019/20 season after the delay because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. It was a 2-1 victory for Chelsea. Prior to that, United had gone six matches without a defeat, winning four and drawing twice, which is a positive. United’s form prior to those matches was not great, especially at Stamford Bridge.

At the time of writing, Chelsea sit at the top of the Premier League table having 12 points more than United, who lie in eighth place. United will need to start clawing back some points to have any chance of challenging for a top four place in the league this season, let alone challenging for the league title. That cannot be ruled out at this time with only 12 matches played so far this season. December will be big month for United and Rangnick and he will be expected to push United into the right direction to have them performing to the right standards and winning matches once again. United have a good squad but recently they have been lost.

Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ratings: De Gea and Shaw the better players in Chelsea draw; James did well in attack as both United and Chelsea fail to score

28 February 2021 by

Manchester United drew 0-0 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. Both teams matched each other evenly with United the team to be disappointed from the match which now sees Manchester City 12 points clear at the top of the table with United a point better off than third placed Leicester City, who lost to Arsenal earlier in the day. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be happy with the point but not with the fact that they failed to score, which is starting to become a worry at this stage of the season. United will face Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening before the Manchester derby at the Etihad next Sunday, which will see Pep Guardiola rubbing his hands with joy based on United’s current goalscoring form.

Chelsea started the match well with Mason Mount showing his ability on the ball, getting it forward and pestering United at the back, which is obviously the weak spot in the squad this season. United made a block on an attack which saw Hakim Ziyech play a pass into Mount, between Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka but United managed to nullify the attack. Chelsea won a corner a few minutes later but that came to nothing. United won a free-kick in the 13th minute with Bruno Fernandes gating half a sight on goal before Mount got into the way. Marcus Rashford forced a save from Eduoard Mendy a minute later, bending his effort over the wall. David De Gea then made a save at the other end following a Mateo Kovacic shot on goal.

There was a possible penalty decision with VAR deliberating after Callum Hudson-Odoi seemingly handled the ball inn his penalty area with Mason Greenwood on the hunt for the ball. After the referee ws made to look at the screen, nothing was given as the ball might have touched Greenwood’s arm too, making it an unfair penalty if it was given, which is fair enough. United did not seem to appeal for the penalty, which suggests there was nothing in it anyway. United then got caught upfield with Mount finding Hudson-Odoi on the right before exchanging passes with Cesar Azpilicueta, firing a bouncing ball from the edge of the box, which was far wide of the target, luckily for United, who needed to up their game.

United then started to find the ball more and get upfield with it, which is the way Solskjaer will have ordered them to play ahead of kick-off. Chelsea’s press was a problem for United though and they would need to find a way to break through and find a goal, otherwise a tactical Chelsea side could steal a victory with United’s defence the weakest area on the pitch at this time. In the 36th minute, Chelsea came close to getting something after Antonio Rudiger pinged a lovely ball over to the right, finding Hudson-Odoi who was hugging the touchline. He delivered a cross into the box for Olivier Giroud, who stretched to get the ball after Lindelof lost him but he did not get a touch on the ball and another Chelsea attack came to nothing.

In the 41st minute of the match, N’Golo Kante got himself into a tangle with Fred as Chelsea were upping the tempo of the match again. With possession in United’s favour, Chelsea failed to clear their lines and a Fernandes shot was deflected behind for a corner, which was better than their last but still cleared by Azpilicueta to deny United anything from the match so far. Towards the end of the half, there was slick passing from both teams with Lindelof playing a route one ball, which nearly tore open Chelsea, then nodded from Fernandes to Rashford before Kante nipped in and put the ball out for another corner, which United failed to get the benefit of. Two minutes were added on at the end of the first half with the scores still 0-0 at the break.

At the start of the second half, Chelsea made their first substitution with Hudson-Odoi being replaced by Reece James after United had found a way though the defence in the first half, now seemingly with Tuchel looking to thwart that. However, after seeking the substituted player on the sidelines, he seemed to be carrying an injury towards the end of the first half, which is the reason for the substitution. In the 50th minute of the match, Fred became the first player to be booked after he fouled Mount from behind. United then started to get into the game, showing some good play on the attack to get a chance around the 60 minute mark, which was denied by Mendy. Ben Chilwell was then shown a yellow card a minute or so later, becoming Chelsea’s first booking.

In the 65th minute of the match, Chelsea made their second substitution with Olivier Giroud being replaced by Christian Pulisic with United still not looking like making any changes, which seems a little late with more inspiration needed to break down this Chelsea side who were doing all they needed to stop United at this point, not that United have been attacking them for long spells of the match. Both teams for nullifying each other so far, which is a fair match but both teams need to find a winner in this match to start to work towards the end game of the season which is to secure top four and UEFA Champions League football. Fred had a good chance in the 68th minute, shooting with his right foot, which was wide of the target, unfortunately for him and United.

In the 78th minute, after a good period of play for United, Chelsea made their third substitution with Timo Werner replacing Ziyech. United made their first substitution with Anthony Martial replacing Greenwood in the 79th minute. United had a good chance late in the game with Scott McTominay breaking forward with Daniel James, Rashford and Martial, playing the ball into the box, a Chelsea defender stopping the cross and James recovering the ball. He ran to the left, tried to play Luke Shaw forward but he didn’t want to be caught offside, letting the ball go out of play. Chelsea then got on the attack, trying to find a winner from this stalemate with three added minutes at the end of the half. United overcame late pressure with the match ending 0-0.

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

Kept a clean sheet, making a few goos saved to deny Chelsea. His distribution was good and he will be happy with a positive result against a team that could have overpowered United.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Good passing of the ball and recovered the ball well at times. Completed most of his passes in the final third of the pitch. Created one chance and did what he needed to do in defence.

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2 Victor Lindelof

Chelsea looked at him as the weak link in the squad, however got little against him. Had the best passing in the team and successful passed the ball five times out of six in the attacking third. Made three clearances, one block and won his only aerial duel in the match.

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5 Harry Maguire

Giroud got the better of him for Hudson-Odoi's cross which could have led to a Chelsea goal. His passing was great with him succeeding with eight out of ten in the attacking third of the pitch. Made five clearances, four of them headed and won his one aerial duel. Good defending and will be pleased with the clean sheet but United should have scored. Booked in the second half.

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23 Luke Shaw

Played well in the left-back role, which was good to see. His passing requires some improvement but he did create three chances in open play, succeeded with one take on out of two but failed with every cross he played, which is a shame. Won three of three tackles, got one interception and one block. Did what he needed to do in defence, getting the better of Chelsea most of the time.

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39 Scott McTominay

Not match fit but good to see him back. Had two attempts on goal; one on target and blocked. His distribution was good but could have been better - not to his usual standards. Created one chance and could have inspired an attack late in the game, which saw United rising forward but failing to register a shot with the ball going out of play.

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17 Fred

Had two chances ons goal; one on target and one off target. Should have perhaps found the back of the net. Good passing succeeding with 12 out of 18 in the attacking third of the pitch. He was dispossessed three times and recovered the ball eight times. He was booked and needed to keep his head from there.

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11 Mason Greenwood

Had two shots on goal; one off target and one blocked. His passing was good and he attempted one take on and succeeded. His was dispossessed four times, which is where improvement is needed. It was a good game for him to lead the line and a shame he did not score. He was replaced by Martial in the 79th minute of the match.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

Not in form at this moment in time, perhaps needing a rest but stubbornness taking heed? Had two attempts on goal, both were blocked. His passing was a but wayward and he only created on chance. He's the clubs top scorer but needs to find his form again as he is the guy that can change United from a good team to a great one, however, he should not be expected to do that all by himself.

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Ratings: De Gea and Shaw the better players in Chelsea draw; James did well in attack as both United and Chelsea fail to score

Used his pace well. Had one chance on goal, which was blocked. His passing was mediocre but he seemed to do well in the attacking half of the pitch. Some will slate him but he is doing what he needs to do on the pitch.

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10 Marcus Rashford

Should have opened the scoring for United early in the first half but his shot was saved. Seemed livelier in the second half but also seemed frustrated as things did not go United's way. He had to attempts, both on target but not scored. He was a good passer of the ball and created two chances. He will be frustrated with himself.

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Substitutes

9 Anthony Martial

Replaced Greenwood 79'. Lame once again. Came on and offered little, created nothing and had one successful pass, which is not good enough. He needs to be dropped completely, once Cavani is fit again.

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Goals: N/A

Assists: N/A

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood (Martial 79′), Fernandes, James; Rashford

Substitutes Not Used: Henderson; Bailly, Telles, Williams, Tuanzebe; Diallo, Matic, Van de Beek

Bookings: Ben Chilwell 62′; Fred 50′, Harry Maguire 79′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: Rashford, Greenwood, Fernandes and James start against Chelsea, Diallo and Van de Beek on the bench

28 February 2021 by

Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League this afternoon. It will be a big match for United, who will face Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea for the first time this season, having drawn with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea at Old Trafford earlier in the season. United’s form at the Bridge is better than it has been, undefeated in the last four visits with three wins, one draw, eight goals scored, three conceded and two clean sheets. United qualified for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday evening and were drawn against AC Milan and will a few weeks break from European competition, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to improve their position in the league this season with many tough matches ahead of them.

United gave Shola Shoretire his debut in the Europa League on Thursday, making him the youngest player to represent United on the European stage, which is a big thing considering the talent that has played for the club at a similar age during the course of history. At this moment in time, United are second in the Premier League table level on points with Leicester City but with a better goal difference. United face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League earlier this season with the club then managed by Thomas Tuchel. Solskjaer’s side got the better of Tuchel’s side in the first match of the group stage, winning 2-1 with Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty and Marcus Rashford scoring the winner after an Anthony Martial own goal.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw;

McTominay, Fred;

Greenwood, Fernandes, James;

Rashford

Substitutes:

Henderson; Bailly, Telles, Williams, Tuanzebe; Diallo, Matic, Van de Beek; Martial

Chelsea:

Mendy;

Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudger;

Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Kovacic, Chilwell;

Ziyech, Mount;

Giroud

Substitutes:

Arrizabalaga; Alonso, Zouma, James, Emerson; Jorginho, Pulisic, Havertz; Werner

United and Chelsea have met a total of 57 times in the history of the Premier League with this being the 58th meeting between the two sides who have both been in the top tier of English football since the Premier League was created. United have won 17 times with Chelsea winning 18 times, the two clubs drawing 22 times. United have scored 72 goals with Chelsea scoring 71. United have won five penalties, scoring four of them with Chelsea winning two and scoring both of them. United have kept 15 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 18. United players have received 126 yellow cards and four red cards with Chelsea players receiving 136 yellow cards and six red cards. This will be an important match for both clubs.

Last season, United beat Chelsea twice at Stamford Bridge; 2-1 in the Carabao Cup which saw Marcus Rashford score a brace, including one penalty and Michy Batshuayi scoring a consolation. United also won 2-0 in the Premier League with Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire scoring the goals. United are undefeated at Stamford Bridge in their last four visits, winning three times and drawing once. The last defeat at Stamford Bridge was in the Premier League, a 1-0 scoreline on the 5 November 2018. This could be something that affects Chelsea, who have been less than a force in the meetings since. Earlier this season, when managed by Lampard, United and Chelsea drew 0-0 at Old Trafford, which was a poor result considering those prior.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Predicted XI: [4-2-3-1] Cavani, Rashford, Fernandes and Greenwood to show their stuff against Chelsea; Diallo to continue his rise to the first team?

27 February 2021 by

Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. It will be a big match for United, who will face Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea for the first time this season, having drawn with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea at Old Trafford earlier in the season. United’s form at the Bridge is better than it has been, undefeated in the last four visits with three wins, one draw, eight goals scored, three conceded and two clean sheets. United qualified for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday evening and were drawn against AC Milan and will a few weeks break from European competition, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to improve their position in the league this season with many tough matches ahead of them.

United gave Shola Shoretire his debut in the Europa League on Thursday, making him the youngest player to represent United on the European stage, which is a big thing considering the talent that has played for the club at a similar age during the course of history. At this moment in time, United are second in the Premier League table level on points with Leicester City but with a better goal difference. Leicester face Arsenal in a noon kick-off on Sunday so could put some pressure in United ahead of their kick-off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are currently fifth, six points adrift of United. Manchester City top the table, ten points clear of United level on matches played and they face West Ham United, who are currently fourth in the table.

How United have faired against Chelsea in the Premier League.

United and Chelsea have met a total of 57 times in the history of the Premier League with this being the 58th meeting between the two sides who have both been in the top tier of English football since the Premier League was created. United have won 17 times with Chelsea winning 18 times, the two clubs drawing 22 times. United have scored 72 goals with Chelsea scoring 71. United have won five penalties, scoring four of them with Chelsea winning two and scoring both of them. United have kept 15 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 18. United players have received 126 yellow cards and four red cards with Chelsea players receiving 136 yellow cards and six red cards. This will be an important match for both clubs.

Last season, United beat Chelsea twice at Stamford Bridge; 2-1 in the Carabao Cup which saw Marcus Rashford score a brace, including one penalty and Michy Batshuayi scoring a consolation. United also won 2-0 in the Premier League with Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire scoring the goals. United are undefeated at Stamford Bridge in their last four visits, winning three times and drawing once. The last defeat at Stamford Bridge was in the Premier League, a 1-0 scoreline on the 5 November 2018. This could be something that affects Chelsea, who have been less than a force in the meetings since. Earlier this season, when managed by Lampard, United and Chelsea drew 0-0 at Old Trafford, which was a poor result considering those prior.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon…

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

David De Gea has Dean Henderson looking to take his spot this season after making 13 appearances so far this season, keeping eight clean sheets. De Gea has 28 appearances and nine clean sheets in all competitions, so based on appearance and clean sheet data alone, Henderson is the better goalkeeper, statistically, this season. I liked the way Henderson commanded his area against Real Sociedad, which is something that De Gea does not do and perhaps should. I feel that Henderson has more to give at United as De Gea’s form has been terrible at times. I had a bad feeling ahead of last season’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with De Gea dropping a clanger. Henderson conceded five goals to Chelsea at Sheffield United last season, De Gea conceded two.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw

United’s defence found some form against Real Sociedad on Thursday night but the Spanish side were not really testing them. Eric Bailly had a good game and perhaps he could do the same again if he started against Chelsea. Harry Maguire will most likely be back in the starting XI too. Aaron Wan-Bissaka played 45 minutes on Thursday and will start against at Stamford Bridge with Luke Shaw, who was rested during the week, taking his left-back place. United have some good players in the defence but they need to start shutting out the opposition players as if United are to win a league title, the defence is what will help to achieve that, as Sir Alex Ferguson once said “attack wins you games and defence wins you titles”. He got it right so many times.

Midfield: Fred, Scott McTominay

Scott McTominay needs to be fit for this match and if that is the case, ensuring that he was ready by keeping him out of the dead rubber against Real Sociedad on Thursday night will be a master stroke. McTominay and Fred play very well in the pivot role. although there will be some of the more negative supporters that will not agree, but you cannot really argue with the fact that it has largely worked for both of them this season. McTominay has seven goals and one assist to his name this season with Fred yet to score a single goal, although he does have an assist. With Paul Pogba out of action for a longer period of time, it is the best that could be, although Solskjaer will need to bring in Donny van de Beek at some point, giving him more game time.

Attacking Midfield: Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford

Just inn these three players alone, there are 44 goals and 29 assists so far this season, which is the majority of the goals for United. Bruno Fernandes has 22 goals and 13 assists to his name, Marcus Rashford has 18 goals and 11 assists with Mason Greenwood having four goals and five assists. Both Fernandes and Rashford have continued their form from last season, having some periods where they were not scoring or creating but when you compare their performance data with Martial, he has been left behind, which is a worrying sign for him and United. Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire could add something late in the game, if needed with United up for continuing their form at Stamford Bridge and continuing their away form this season, which is impeccable.

Forwards: Edinson Cavani

After scoring seven goals and two assists so far this season and missing the last three matches, Edinson Cavani needs to be starting for United again, should he be fit. The Uruguayan is the best forward at the club this season after Anthony Martial has continue his flop season which seems like he is not going to find any form, or at least figure it out that he’s long out of form. It is a worrying sign that so many people seem to praise the Frenchman despite him not really doing much this season, compared to the last. Cavani has the ability to unlock the defence, find some good positions and create space for other attackers. His headers are sublime also – perhaps one is coming up this weekend, if he plays?

Substitutes: Dean Henderson; Victor Lindelof, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams, Axel Tuanzebe; Amad Diallo, Donny van de Beek, Shola Shoretire; Anthony Martial

With nine substitutes to choose from, Solskjaer will have some choices, providing at least three of the injured players are back in contention, with two of them predicted to start in this match. Dean Henderson will be con the bench after his clean sheet against Real Sociedad on Thursday evening. In defence, Victor Lindelof, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe, who could provide midfield cover too, will be available. In midfield, Amad Diallo, Donny van de Beek and Shola Shoretire could provide some good options against Chelsea with Anthony Martial as the only attacking player on the bench, despite his poor form this season. Solskjaer will be seeking a result in this match, but Chelsea will be seeking the same.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Preview: United need a result against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – unbeaten in four visits. Cavani, Rashford, Fernandes and Greenwood to start?

27 February 2021 by

Chelsea -v- Manchester United

Premier League

Stamford Bridge, London

Sunday 28 February 2021, KO 16:30 GMT

Referee: Stuart Attwell Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Simon Long

Fourth Official: Andre Marriner

VAR: Chris Kavanagh Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis

Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. It will be a big match for United, who will face Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea for the first time this season, having drawn with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea at Old Trafford earlier in the season. United’s form at the Bridge is better than it has been, undefeated in the last four visits with three wins, one draw, eight goals scored, three conceded and two clean sheets. United qualified for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday evening and were drawn against AC Milan and will a few weeks break from European competition, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to improve their position in the league this season with many tough matches ahead of them.

United gave Shola Shoretire his debut in the Europa League on Thursday, making him the youngest player to represent United on the European stage, which is a big thing considering the talent that has played for the club at a similar age during the course of history. At this moment in time, United are second in the Premier League table level on points with Leicester City but with a better goal difference. Leicester face Arsenal in a noon kick-off on Sunday so could put some pressure in United ahead of their kick-off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are currently fifth, six points adrift of United. Manchester City top the table, ten points clear of United level on matches played and they face West Ham United, who are currently fourth in the table.

Manchester United: DWWDWD

Real Sociedad 0-0 D, Newcastle United 3-1 W, Real Sociedad 4-0 W, West Bromwich Albion 1-1 D, West Ham United 1-0 W, Everton 3-3 D

Chelsea: WDWWWW

Atletico Madrid 1-0 W, Southampton 1-1 D, Newcastle United 2-0 W, Barnsley 1-0 W, Sheffield United 2-1 W, Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 W

Top Scorers: Bruno Fernandes has scored 22 goals this season with Marcus Rashford on 18. Tammy Abraham is Chelsea’s top goal scorer with 12 goals, Olivier Giroud has 10 to his name.

Manchester United Goals: 22 – Bruno Fernandes, 18 – Marcus Rashford, 7 – Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, 5 – Daniel James, 4 – Mason Greenwood, Paul Pogba, 2 – Harry Maguire, Juan Mata, Own Goal, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 1 – Victor Lindelof, Donny van de Beek

In their last six matches, Solskjaer’s United are undefeated with three wins and three draws. United have scored a total of 12 goals, conceding five and keeping three clean sheets. Granted, it is in the past month with all the draws that has seen Manchester City climb to the top of the table and open up a ten point lead. However, some see negativity in this but this is the best season United have had in the league post Sir Alex Ferguson as they have shown some major improvement, which has led the negative supporters of the club to change the goalposts and suggest that it is the manager of the club that is the problem once again. How many times have we heard that now and how many more times will it be said?

Chelsea Goals: 12 – Tammy Abraham, 11 – Olivier Giroud, 10 – Timo Werner, 6 – Jorginho, 5 – Kai Havertz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, 4 – Kurt Zouma, 2 – Ben Chilwell, Christian Pulisic, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, 1 – Marcos Alonso, César Azpilicueta, Ross Barkley, Reece James

Chelsea have underachieved in the Premier League this season and Frank Lampard was one of the major reasons that has happened. Thomas Tuchel seems to have got his team firing once again but the honeymoon period will soon be over and the real Chelsea could stand back up, meaning the manager will have a massive task on his hands. I don’t think the summer signings have done as well as the Chelsea fans had expected and many of them still need to do a lot more to even think about catching the tails of Bruno Fernandes. In the last six matches, Chelsea are undefeated with five wins and one draw, scoring eight goals, conceding two and keeping four clean sheets. This will be a big match for Chelsea which could help them break into the top four again.

Team News: Chelsea have one injury with United seemingly sweating on four players with two also ruled out of the clash.

Phil Jones (knee), Paul Pogba (thigh) and Juan Mata (other) have been ruled out of the clash with Chelsea through injury. Edinson Cavani, Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay have all missed the last few matches through muscular problems with McTominay coming off after an hour in the first leg against Real Sociedad. Daniel James is now a doubt after having to come off in the second leg against Real Sociedad with a muscular injury. It is a shame that United have so many concerns in the squad at this stage of the season and hopefully, Cavani, McTominay and Van de Beek will be back in contention for this important match with many more upcoming in the next few weeks. Solskjaer may have some problems if players are not close to returning.

Thiago Silva (muscular) is the only injury concern for new Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. This will be the third time that United will be pitted against a Tuchel side this season after facing Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League group stage, beating them in the first match which was played in Paris but losing in the second at Old Trafford. Tuchel seems to have Chelsea playing a much better brand of football than hie predecessor, Frank Lampard, which will see United have problems against the club. United’s recent record at Stamford Bridge is good with United winning three and drawing once in their last four visits to the stadium. Chelsea will be seeking to make their home their fortress once again.

Predicted Starting XI: Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford tasked with beating Chelsea? Scott McTominay and Fred inn midfield? Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire to partner in central defence?

Solskjaer will make some changes from the team which drew 0-0 with Real Sociedad on Thursday night, earning a round of 16 place in the UEFA Europa League setting up a tie with Italian giants, AC Milan. David De Gea will return in goal against Thomas Tuchel’s side and he will be expected to put in a good performance, possibly tasked with keeping a clean sheet against the Blues. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw will complete the defence. In midfield, Fred and Scott McTominay will play in the pivot with Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood playing behind Edinson Cavani. The likes of Donny van de Beek, Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire could all come of the bench to add something.

Match Prediction: 57 matches played in the Premier League; United have won 17, drawn 22 and lost 18 times.

United and Chelsea have met a total of 57 times in the history of the Premier League with this being the 58th meeting between the two sides who have both been in the top tier of English football since the Premier League was created. United have won 17 times with Chelsea winning 18 times, the two clubs drawing 22 times. United have scored 72 goals with Chelsea scoring 71. United have won five penalties, scoring four of them with Chelsea winning two and scoring both of them. United have kept 15 clean sheets with Chelsea keeping 18. United players have received 126 yellow cards and four red cards with Chelsea players receiving 136 yellow cards and six red cards. This will be an important match for both clubs.

Last season, United beat Chelsea twice at Stamford Bridge; 2-1 in the Carabao Cup which saw Marcus Rashford score a brace, including one penalty and Michy Batshuayi scoring a consolation. United also won 2-0 in the Premier League with Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire scoring the goals. United are undefeated at Stamford Bridge in their last four visits, winning three times and drawing once. The last defeat at Stamford Bridge was in the Premier League, a 1-0 scoreline on the 5 November 2018. This could be something that affects Chelsea, who have been less than a force in the meetings since. Earlier this season, when managed by Lampard, United and Chelsea drew 0-0 at Old Trafford, which was a poor result considering those prior.

Chelsea 1-2 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Review & Ratings: Martial and Maguire score in Chelsea victory; Fernandes is some player – VAR hurts Chelsea with Two goals ruled out

17 February 2020 by

Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side took the lead in the 45th minute through Anthony Martial with Aaron Wan-Bissaka assisting. United doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Harry Maguire with Bruno Fernandes assisting. Chelsea had scored in-between with Kurt Zouma getting a goal back, which was ruled out by VAR. Olivier Giroud scored another, which was ruled out.

United started the game well, trying to play out of their own half. However, Chelsea were all over them seeking to put themselves in the driving seat in the match. Within five minutes, Chelsea had a chance to take first blood after United pressed, lost possession and Willian played the ball into Reece James, who missed the target from 20-yards. United had a corner three minutes later, failing to get anything from the set-piece. United needed to be doing much better.

Chelsea lost N’Golo Kante inside ten minutes to injury, which was a shame for the home side. Eight minutes later, Aaron Wan-Bissaka slipped and Pedro took advantage, keeping the ball on the by-line. The Spaniard tried to pick out Willian but Eric Bailly beat him to the ball to stop the attack. In the 22nd minute, VAR ruled out a red card for Harry Maguire, ruling out violent conduct from the foul. Chelsea had a few more chances in succession, not capitalising from anything so far.

United seemed to be doing everything they could to break Chelsea down but were not getting anywhere. Bruno Fernandes had a shot on goal in the 31st minute which was wide of the target. In the 35th minute, Chelsea were calling for a penalty after it seemed Willian was brought down in the box but he was booked for simulation for his cynical dive. United were banging on the door but not actually getting what they were trying to do but kept trying, never giving up.

Anthony Martial took the lead for United in the 45th minute, just before three minutes of added time was announced. Wan-Bissaka played a great cross into the Chelsea box with the Frenchman lying in wait and heading past Willy Caballero, who was scrambling. It was a good goal, Martial’s 13th goal of the season for the club. United need to keep doing what they have been doing – frustrating Chelsea and aiming to leave Stamford Bridge with another victory this season.

Chelsea drew level with United in the 55th minute of the match with Kurt Zouma, who came on at half time, scoring the goal. However, in the run up to the goal, it appeared that Brandon Williams was fouled by in the box and the goal was ruled out by VAR. Zouma was booked for a poor challenge on Martial in the 59th minute with Fred getting a booking too for his behaviour after the foul. United should be aiming to capitalise with both of Chelsea’s central defenders on yellow cards.

United doubled their lead in the 66th minute from a corner. Fernandes delivered a great ball into the box, to the back post with Maguire beating Rudiger and putting a belting header past Caballero scoring his second goal for United but his first for his new club in the Premier League. I am sure the Chelsea supporters will be moaning that Maguire should not have been on the pitch for the goal but they need to take that up with VAR and stop being bitter. Frank Lampard is a poor manager.

Chelsea scored again, this time through Olivier Giroud as Reece James got the ball down the right, swing in a perfect cross to the Frenchman to meet with a diving header. Chelsea were back in the game. Or were they? VAR had a look at the goal and again ruled out out, the time for offside. Giroud’s foot was offside when the ball came into the box. Lampard was looking annoyed on the sidelines but it is nobody’s fault but his own for his side not being able to beat United this season.

It may have been a bad night for Chelsea but United will be returning to Manchester with three important points in the bag, having beaten Chelsea three times this season, twice at Stamford Bridge. Odion Ighalo got his first appearance for United and could have capitalised with a goal seconds after coming on the pitch. Solskjaer will be happy with what he saw and will now look ahead to Thursday’s return to UEFA Europa League action against Club Brugge in Belgium.

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

The Spanish number one was beaten twice in the game against Chelsea, however, both goals were ruled out by VAR. In the last minute of the match, he seemed to become injured after Chelsea tried to get back into the game.

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3 Eric Bailly

The Ivorian started off very rusty but soon got into the pace of the game, doing some important defensive work. Perhaps he's the player to form a partnership with Maguire this season? He played well throughout the match after his opening spell of insecurity and could stand in the way of Lindelof now.

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5 Harry Maguire

It could have been one of those matches for Maguire. Defensively, he did well for his club but he could have been sent off - something he will gain criticism for despite VAR not giving him a red card. It did look like he kicked out but accidents do happen. Scored his first Premier League goal for United, with a header assisted by Fernandes. The captain played well and will be happy with his goal and the all important three points for United.

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23 Luke Shaw

Playing on the left of a back three, Shaw did well for United. Williams was playing further forward. Shaw threatened at times, busting a gut to get the ball forward but it did not always happen as he may have liked.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

I see a lot of criticism for Wan-Bissaka based on his attacking threat but for the opening goal against Chelsea, he could not have done much wrong. His crossing is better then any other player in his position at the club for the past seven years. He got the assist for an important goal.

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17 Fred

The Brazilian midfielder played well for United again, in a match which came too soon for McTominay. He was booked in the second half for defending Martial after he was fouled. He's going to be a good player to have in the team this season.

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31 Nemanja Matic

The Serbian was missed against Wolves about a fortnight ago. He did what he needed to do in midfield with him and Fred releasing Fernandes to play further forward, where he should be play8ing.

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33 Brandon Williams

The teenager has become a permanent fixture in the first team this season, and rightly so. He's beyond his years in terms of ability and is clearly ready to carve his name into the footballing world. Not much seems to faze him - if anything. He was fouled in the build up to Chelsea's equaliser, which was ruled out for the foul. He also managed another booking for the season during the match.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

The Portuguese midfielder had a good game against Chelsea, showing his quality. He was unlucky with a few times in the game but from a corner. he set up Maguire to double United's lead in the game. He played well throughout the match, earning the ovation he received when being replaced by Dalot two minutes into added time.

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Review & Ratings: Martial and Maguire score in Chelsea victory; Fernandes is some player – VAR hurts Chelsea with Two goals ruled out

He played well and his pace was used at times. He did not really get stuck into the match but not every player is going to hit the ground running all of the time. He was replaced by Pereira in the 80th minute of the match, ending his game with United 2-0 up and strolling home.

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9 Anthony Martial

The Frenchman headed his effort into the back of the net at the end of the first half, assisted by Wan-Bissaka. The Frenchman was not at his best during the rest of the game and was replaced by Ighalo in the 90th minute.

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Substitutes

15 Andreas Pereira

Replaced James 80'. He did not really have much impact in the game other than to help United with his fresh legs. Chelsea's sting had been removed by this time in the game.

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Review & Ratings: Martial and Maguire score in Chelsea victory; Fernandes is some player – VAR hurts Chelsea with Two goals ruled out

Replaced Martial 90'. Came on with added time remaining. Could have made it a debut to remember, however, he was not able to score his goal. He might need more time to become a starter, however, Thursday could see him have more involvement.

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20 Diogo Dalot

Replaced Fernandes 90+2'. Came on late in the game for Fernandes. Had little impact being on the pitch for three minutes or so.

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Goals: Anthony Martial 45′, Harry Maguire 66′

Assists: Aaron Wan-Bissaka 45′, Bruno Fernandes 66′

Manchester United: De Gea; Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Matic, Williams; Fernandes (Dalot 90+2); James (Pereira 80′), Martial (Ighalo 90′)

Substitutes Not Used: Romero; Jones; Mata; Greenwood

Bookings: Willian 35′, Antonio Rudiger 48′, Kurt Zouma 59′, Pedro 64′; Fred 59′, Brandon Williams 76′, Aaron Wan-Bissaka 79′

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confirmed Starting XI: Fernandes playing behind Martial and James; Ighalo on the bench versus Chelsea

17 February 2020 by

Manchester United have travelled to Stamford Bridge to face Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in the Premier League this evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have beaten Chelsea twice already this season; a 4-0 victory at Old Trafford in the Premier League at the start of the season and a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory at Stamford Bridge, which has turned United’s fortunes at the stadium around.

United will have had just over two weeks break from their last match, a 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Solskjaer will know that he needs to get his team working in the right direction to fight for a place in the top four this season, which is the easier route to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. The other route will be by winning the UEFA Europa League, which could be difficult.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Bailly, Maguire, Shaw;

Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Matic, Williams;

Fernandes;

James, Martial

Substitutes:

Romero; Jones, Dalot; Mata, Pereira; Ighalo, Greenwood

Chelsea:

Caballero;

James, Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta;

Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic;

Pedro, Batshuayi, Willian

Substitutes:

Arrizabalaga; Alonso, Zouma, Tomori; Barkley, Mount; Giroud

United and Chelsea have played a total of 185 matches in this history of both clubs with the first match being played in 1905. United have won 80 times, drawn 51 times and lost 54 times. In the past five matches, in all competitions, United are unbeaten against Chelsea, winning three times and drawing twice. Stamford Bridge has been a tough place for United to visit, but in their last three United have won twice and drawn once.

The last defeat against Chelsea came at Wembley in the Emirates FA Cup final on the 19 May 2018, a 1-0 defeat with Phil Jones giving away a penalty and Eden Hazard scoring from the spot. The last defeat before them came at Stamford Bridge on the 5 November 2017 – a 1-0 defeat with former Chelsea striker Álvaro Morata scoring the only goal of the game. United will be seeking to keep their recent good record against Chelsea.

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

copyright: JW