Chelsea vs Manchester United – Match Preview, Team News, Line-ups | OneFootball

Chelsea and Manchester United go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League classic on Sunday afternoon.

A return of two wins, three draws and a loss from their last six Premier League outings has seen United’s chances of chasing down pacesetters Manchester City dwindle.

However, a victory in London would solidify the Red Devils’ position in the top-four race and help to boost spirits in the dressing room.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s men will have to bring their A-game to knock in-form Chelsea off their perch.

The Londoners have gone from strength-to-strength under Thomas Tuchel and will be looking to put their familiar foes’ resolve to the test.

Chelsea Preview

Tuchel’s arrival has brought compactness and consistency to Chelsea, something they lacked during Frank Lampard’s tenure.

The Blues have not lost any of their eight competitive fixtures under the German boss (W6, D2), keeping a blank sheet on six occasions.

However, entertainment has been relatively sparse as seven of those eight games featured under 2.5 total goals.

If he manages to shut out United, the former Paris Saint-Germain coach will become the second manager in the Premier League history to record a clean sheet in his first four home league matches in charge.

Stamford Bridge has become the fortress that home fans have been hoping for this season, with Chelsea suffering just one defeat in their last 11 Premier League matches here (W6, D4).

But, it’s worth noting that both of their home league losses this season arrived against Liverpool and Manchester City and yielded a two-goal margin.

Manchester United Preview

United are unbeaten in six consecutive Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W3, D3), keeping a clean sheet in the last three.

The Red Devils have returned 57.14% of their total Premier League points away from Old Trafford and remain the only side yet to taste defeat on the road this league campaign (GP12 – W8, D4).

United have avoided defeat in their last 19 top-flight trips (W13, D6), an extraordinary run that started with a 2-0 triumph at Stamford Bridge in February 2020.

Another bright spot has been the Red Devils’ ability to grind out a result after conceding the opening goal. Seven of United’s eight away league triumphs have seen them come from behind to seal all three points.

United’s road action usually sparks into life after half-time, with 64% of their away Premier League goals scored so far coming in the second half of play (16/25).

However, lapses of concentration in the earlier stages of the game have witnessed Solskajer’s side register a clear majority (76.92%) of their top-flight goals conceded away from Old Trafford before the break (10/13).

Team News

Thiago Silva has failed to recover in time to face United and is the only notable absence for the home side.

Phil Jones, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek are recuperating from injuries and remain on the sidelines for United.

Line-ups

Chelsea (3-5-2): Edouard Mendy; Antonio Rudiger; Andreas Christensen; Cesar Azpilicueta; Marcus Alonso; Mateo Kovacic; Jorginho; Callum Hudson-Odoi; Mason Mount, Timo Werner; Olivier Giroud.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Luke Shaw; Victor Lindelof; Harry Maguire; Aaron Wan-Bissaka; Nemanja Matic; Fred; Bruno Fernandes; Antony Martial; Mason Greenwood; Marcus Rashford.