Manchester United will try to keep their slim chances of finishing in the Premier League’s top four alive as they host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were defeated 3-1 by Arsenal at the weekend, while Thomas Tuchel’s side beat London rivals West Ham United 1-0 late in the game.
Despite some initial optimism that Erik ten Hag’s appointment would energize Man United’s players, the Red Devils have once again lost ground in the race for Champions League football to a direct top-four rival at the Emirates.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 100th Premier League goal was a nice touch for the 37-year-old, but Arsenal won 3-1 at the Emirates stadium. The Gunners certainly rode their luck as Bruno Fernandes missed from the spot in the second half.
Man United are in danger of dropping out of the European places entirely, after taking just four points from 15 available points since the start of the month and losing three of their last four. Ralf Rangnick’s side is now sixth in the league table and six points behind Arsenal despite having played one more game.
West Ham is also putting pressure on Man United, and stories are circulating that Rangnick is losing his place at Old Trafford, but the Red Devils can take some comfort from their domestic home form ahead of Thursday’s match.
Rangnick’s side has gone seven games without losing in the Premier League at Old Trafford, following a pattern of winning one and then drawing one at home, and they haven’t lost three games in a row in the top level since the days of Louis Van Gaal in 2015.
Chelsea can relate to United after allowing many goals in a recent loss to Arsenal, and Tuchel saw his team fail to convert from the penalty spot at the weekend, with Jorginho’s penalty falling pleasantly into Lukasz Fabianski’s gloves.
Just when it looked like Chelsea would need to be happy with a draw, substitute Christian Pulisic was in the right place at the right time to convert in the 90th minute.
Chelsea can now open up an eight-point lead over fourth-placed Arsenal if they win their game in hand on Thursday night, and a win at Old Trafford would give the Blues a comfortable cushion.
Manchester United vs Chelsea: Head to head
Total matches played between the two sides: 190
Manchester United wins: 81
Chelsea wins: 55
Draws: 54
Manchester United Form Guide: L, D, L, W, L, L
Chelsea Form Guide: L, W, W, W, L, W
Manchester United vs Chelsea: Team News
Manchester United
Manchester United has suffered two new setbacks, as Jadon Sancho has been ruled out due to illness, while Harry Maguire has been ruled out owing to injury. Fred, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Edinson Cavani are still unavailable.
Manchester United is set to stick with the 4-3-3 formation that Ralf Rangnick has used for the bulk of his interim managerial spell.
Due to Maguire’s injury, David de Gea will be the unquestioned starting in goal, while Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane will return to the defense. The home team’s full-backs, Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles should continue to play.
Former Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic is expected to start at No. 6 for Manchester United, with Scott McTominay providing defensive assistance. Due to Sancho’s absence, Marcus Rashford may be given the opportunity to start and make an impression.
Chelsea:
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be without long-term absentees Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi, while Mateo Kovacic’s ankle injury will take longer to heal.
Andreas Christensen was forced to withdraw from the team for the game against West Ham at the last minute owing to stomach problems, but he should be available here, as should Antonio Rudiger and Reece James.
With Tuchel may be saving his rotations for the relegation-threatened Everton match, Pulisic could be one of the few players on the bench at the weekend who is considered for a start at Old Trafford.
Our Prediction:
Chelsea hasn’t been at its best recently, losing to Arsenal in midweek. They came close to winning again this past weekend, relying on a last-second goal from Christian Pulisic. They will, however, face a Manchester United team that is in bad straits and has nowhere to go.
Ralf Rangnick’s side has looked dreadful in their past two games against Liverpool and Arsenal and had only just beaten Norwich City the week before. In their past ten games across all competitions, they have only won twice.
And with Chelsea expecting to put a dominant performance on Thursday night, that record is unlikely to improve. The Blues are expected to win by a large margin.
Our Final Score: Manchester United 1-3 Chelsea
