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Manchester United vs Chelsea odds and betting statistics
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Manchester United vs Chelsea match preview
Will Manchester United rubber stamp their Champions League return, thereby avoiding any potential final day nerves?
On Saturday, the Red Devils enjoyed a rare victory on the road, beating Bournemouth 1-0 at Dean Court, courtesy of Casemiro’s spectacular overhead kick.
Erik ten Hag’s team did begin May with back-to-back defeats, at Brighton and West Ham, but have won six of their last nine Premier League matches overall.
So, Man United kick off in fourth, three points clear of Liverpool, needing just a point here, or at home to Fulham on Sunday, to ensure they’ll be back in the Champions League.
With a Manchester derby FA Cup Final to come in just nine days time, ten Hag will be keen to get the job done expediently.
As for Chelsea, the only good news is that this season is almost over.
Before this, Frank Lampard’s side had put together an unbeaten run of two games, but they’ve now lost eight of their last 14 in the league.
In fact, the only teams Chelsea have beaten since mid-October are Crystal Palace, Leeds, Leicester and Bournemouth (twice).
As a result, they kick off 12th, a mere two points above a Wolves side who were bottom on Christmas Day.
Assuming Chelsea are beaten here and against Newcastle on Sunday, their tally of 43 points would represent the club’s ninth-lowest total ever, accounting for three-points for a win.
In six of these eight seasons, the Blues were actually relegated (reprieved in 1915, following WWI).
Amazingly, the last five clashes between these two have all ended in draws, the longest sequence of stalemates between any two clubs in Premier League history.
The Blues’ most-recent league victory over Man United came in 2017, with that fact very unlikely to change at Old Trafford.
Manchester United team news
Marcus Rashford has missed the last two games, due to injury and illness, and they’re not going to take any chances with the FA Cup Final in mind.
So, Anthony Martial will continue to lead the line, seeking to score in back-to-back Premier League home games for the first time since July 2020.
Casemiro scored a 94th minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge in October and continues to be key to Man United’s success, at both ends of the field.
Goalkeeper David de Gea will make his 543rd appearance for the club; only Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Paul Scholes, Bill Foulkes, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney have made more for the club.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelöf, Shaw; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes; Antony, Sancho, Martial.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea are without Benoît Badiashile, Reece James, Ben Chillwell, Marc Cucurella, N’Golo Kanté, Mateo Kovačić, Denis Zakaria, Mason Mount and Armando Broja due to injury.
JoĂŁo FĂ©lix meantime picked up an injury in the warm-up on Sunday, so may have made his last appearance of a very unsuccessful loan spell.
Édouard Mendy featured for the first time since the World Cup in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, but impressed so much that Kepa Arrizabalaga was straight back in a week later.
With both senior left-back options sidelined, Lewis Hall will keep his place.
Carney Chukwuemeka meantime will join up with the England U20s squad next week, having been given a nine-minute cameo at the weekend.
Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz led the attack at the Etihad, chosen over Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Christian Pulisic and others.
Predicted XI (5-3-2): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Fofana, Hall; Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, Fernández; Sterling, Havertz.
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