In a thrilling Stamford Bridge battle on Saturday night, fifth will try to pass fourth as Chelsea and Manchester United restart their Premier League war. The Blues stretched their undefeated streak under Graham Potter to seven games, but Brentford held them to a scoreless draw on Wednesday night.
Tottenham were easily defeated by Manchester United in the middle of the week. Chelsea enjoyed a four-game winning streak in the Premier League before their midweek tie with Brentford, which helped them move up the standings after an erratic start that resulted in the firing of their former manager, Tomas Tuchel. Manchester United have had a season full of ups and downs, but on Wednesday, they defeated Tottenham 2-0 to move up to the fifth position in the standings.
Form Guide: Chelsea
Graham Potter’s undefeated start at Stamford Bridge extended in midweek, but away Blues supporters would have been unhappy with the lack of finishing their team displayed, with a goalless draw leaving many angry.
Chelsea had trouble scoring goals, but their continuous consistency at the rear might be crucial as the season progresses. With their midweek draw, Potter’s team has now kept five straight clean sheets and has only let up two goals in his first seven games in command.
Graham Potter, who previously defeated Manchester United 2-1 with Brighton in August, might become the first manager in the history of the Premier League to defeat them twice with two separate teams in the same season when the Red Devils visit the town on Saturday.
Form Guide: Manchester United
As for Manchester United, besides another Cristiano Ronaldo strop, things are looking decent under Erik ten Hag. After their midweek win against Tottenham, they sit just one place and one point behind fourth-place Chelsea heading into this game.
Manchester United will be determined to prove their top-four credentials against a direct competitor after making a significant statement against Tottenham Hotspur this week. So far, Erik ten Hag’s leadership has been remarkable.
It was perhaps their greatest performance of the year as they dominated Tottenham and defeated them 2-0 to extend Erik ten Hag’s winning streak to five games.
Even if their most recent loss was a 6-3 humiliation at the Etihad, they were on the rise before that. In their previous eight Premier League games, they have only suffered one loss, and during that stretch, they have defeated Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs.
How the game could go
That being said, ten Hag’s side has struggled to break down sides at times, including in their recent goalless draw against Newcastle and their 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia. That, combined with Chelsea’s defensive form, hints at a low-scoring affair on Saturday.
This is going to be a tight, tense clash and there will be contrasting styles of play on the show. I expect Chelsea to have plenty of the ball but they have to be patient and alert defensively to stop United’s quality on the break.
A side more clinical than Aston Villa or Brentford would have broken Chelsea’s streak of clean sheets by now, and Man United will feel confident of doing that here, despite taking a multitude of efforts to finally get the better of Lloris on Wednesday.
Betting Predictions
Under 2.5 goals
Just a point separates Chelsea in fourth and Man Utd in the fifth position in the Premier League table ahead of Saturday’s evening kick-off between the two clubs. Under 2.5 goals have been produced in five of the last six encounters between these two clubs in all competitions, and we’re backing another low-scoring affair this weekend. Chelsea’s last three matches have witnessed fewer than three goals scored and in each of those matches, the Londoners have kept a clean sheet. Likewise, Man Utd’s last three games have all produced a clean sheet for the Red Devils and witnessed fewer than three goals scored. Bet9ja have 1.94, 1xbet have 2.00 and Paripesa have 2.00 odds.
Draw
We’re expecting a very close and competitive 90-minutes as both teams have put in some good performances of late. The last four meetings between these two Premier League giants have ended in stalemates having produced under 2.5 goals. With both teams playing to a very similar standard so far this season, we’re backing Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge to end in yet another draw. Chelsea hasn’t lost any of their last six outings and played out a 0-0 draw in midweek against Brentford, while Man Utd haven’t lost any of their last five matches in all competitions. Bet9ja have 3.50 odds, Paripesa have 3.60, and 1xbet have 3.60 odds.
Anytime Goalscorer (Chelsea)
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has found a certain form of resurgence under new manager Graham Potter as he has produced 5+ goal involvements in as many games already. Today he faces a United side whom he has scored against in the past. The team was lacking a lethal threat up front and he would be vital to changing that. Bet9ja have 4.00 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 4.40.
Aubameyang
Chelsea missed the experience from the veteran forward as they squandered lots of opportunities last time out against Brentford. He had scored in three consecutive games in all competitions before the game against Aston Villa. He was rested in the midweek fixture and would surely start against a side he is familiar with from his time at Arsenal. He is a man of big occasions and can surely score here. Bet9ja have 2.80 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.60.
Anytime Goalscorer (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford
Gutted not to have scored against Tottenham on Wednesday he would be amongst the first picks t start after a fairly good game against Spurs. He has stepped up in the big games this season scoring against Arsenal and Liverpool already and just shying away from a goal against Tottenham on Wednesday. He is now as reliable as he was previous seasons ago and would be among the top contenders to score today. Bet9ja have 4.50 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 3.30.
Bruno Fernandes
Admittedly, there was a touch of good fortune about Fred’s deflected opener and a bobbling ball fell nicely for Bruno Fernandez to curl in the second. Admittedly, there was a touch of good fortune about Fred’s deflected opener and a bobbling ball fell nicely for Bruno Fernandez to curl in the second. Bet9ja have 5.25 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 4.60.
Football Lover. All-round junkie of the beautiful game. Could be found watching football most of the time. If not he’s writing about them or making some punditry you don’t agree with. A certain bias for Arsenal and Santos FC.
