Man United vs Chelsea – Will the Red Devils get their first home win?
Manchester United will welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford this weekend in what should be an entertaining Premier League fixture.
The Red Devils are coming off the back of a 2:1 win against Parsis Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the UEFA Champions League while Chelsea played out a barren draw against Sevilla at Stamford Bridge in the same competition.
The Red Devils should be the more confident side coming into this game having won their last two games in all competitions, 4:1 away to Newcastle, and the recent defeat of PSG.
Chelsea, on the other hand, gave away a 2 nil lead and eventually settled for a 3 all draw against Southampton at Stamford Bridge in their last Premier League game before the barren UCL draw against Sevilla.
This will be Man United’s third Premier League home game of the season and their home form this term will surely give the Blues some confidence heading into Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s boys have lost their two home games this season in an embarrassing fashion. First, a 3:1 defeat to Crystal Palace, and a 6:1 bashing by Tottenham Hotspur. Funny enough, these are all London sides and Chelsea is the next London club to visit.
Regardless, the Red Devils will be brimming with confidence and looking to get their first Premier League home win of the season while Frank Lampard and his men will be looking to prove a point with the recent acquisitions in their ranks.
Manchester United have won 5 of their 7 games in all competitions this season. All the wins were on the road and the two losses already mentioned earlier. Chelsea have played 8 games, won 3, lost 2, and drew 3.
Frank Lampard and his men will be wary of the threat that the Red Devils can pose against them at home. The Englishman and his men can’t quickly forget their last visit to Old Trafford in the Premier League where they lost 4 nil last term.
Since Frank Lampard was appointed as Chelsea’s boss, he has faced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man United 4 times in all competitions. The Red Devils won 3, and Chelsea won 1 which was their most recent encounter. In Premier League encounters, the Norwegian has two over Frank Lampard.
Frank Lampard will be looking to improve on his side’s defensive record ahead of the game with the Blues conceding 1.5 goals per game in the Premier League.
The Blues have struggled to hold on to leads when they go ahead in a match and it has come back to bite them severally, as was the case in their last Premier League game against Southampton.
Man United are the in-form side ahead of the game with 4 wins in their last 5 games while Chelsea have won just 1, drew 3, and lost 1 out of their last 5 games. The Blues have their work cut out for them at Old Trafford regardless of Man United’s stuttering at home thus far.
TEAM NEWS
MANCHESTER UNITED
Ahead of the game, Harry Maguire could return to action while Eric Bailly remains out for the Red Devils. If the Englishman fails to pass a late fitness test, then Axel Tuanzebe may be given a run-in after an impressive outing against PSG in the UCL.
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial is on suspension and this could provide an opportunity for new signing Edinson Cavani to make his Premier League debut for Man United.
Mason Greenwood, on the other hand, has recently been in the news for the wrong reasons and it remains to be seen if Ole will feature him in this one.
Paul Pogba is available while Bruno Fernandes will be looking to orchestrate play from the middle of the park against Chelsea. The Blues will also have to be on the lookout for the menace that is Marcus Rashford.
CHELSEA
For Chelsea, Billy Gilmour is the notable absentee, with Edouard Mendy expected to get the nod between the sticks having returned to action against Sevilla.
Frank Lampard has confirmed the Senegalese shot-stopper as Chelsea’s number one goalie and he will be looking to impress having kept two clean sheets in the two games he has played thus far.
Veteran Thiago Silva should also be available for this game and will likely partner Kurt Zouma in central defense.
Meanwhile, the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Mason Mount, and the rest are all available for selection. It all boils down to Lampard’s preference and tactics on the day.
VERDICT
For the game, Man United are favorites for all 3 points considering how they fared against this opposition in the Premier League last season. Asking for a Chelsea win would be a big ask as they’ve not won at Old Trafford since 2013.
Meanwhile, a loss for the Blues in this one will make Frank Lampard the first Chelsea manager to lose his first three Premier League games against the Red Devils. He won’t want that record.
This should be an exciting game with both teams expected to score. They’ve been suspect in defense and Man United’s poor form at home this season means that it’s not all roses for them in this encounter.
Frank Lampard has some decent attacking talent at his disposal and so does Ole. This should be an end to end fixture and I’ll predict a draw in this one although there will be goals in it. Or I daresay a Man United win. Meanwhile, here are suggestions on the best football streaming sites to watch the game.
