CHELSEA face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge looking to continue their excellent Premier League form.
Thomas Tuchel has made a fantastic start to life in West London, with the Blues on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
United though have won on their last three visits to this ground and start an attacking trio of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Dan James.
- Kick-off time: 4.30pm GMT
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League
- Live stream: Sky Go/NOW TV
- Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Hudson-Odoi, Kovacic, Kante, Chilwell, Ziyech, Mount, Giroud.
- Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, McTominay, Rashford, Greenwood, James.
Follow ALL the latest build-up and action with our live blog below…
Penalty boost: Either team to win a penalty boosted to 40/1
SOLSKJAER SPEAKS
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists his team are out to play an aggressive game at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as they look to continue their impressive away form.
We need to come here and play a good game, and hopefully get the three points. We want to close the gap at the top, and we know Chelsea are behind us. We have to perform how we want to perform.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
FANTASTIC FERNANDES
Bruno Fernandes provided his tenth Premier League assist of the season – albeit fortuitously – in last weekend’s win against Newcastle and, in doing so, became only the fourth different Manchester United player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in a single Premier League campaign.
The Portuguese maestro joins Eric Cantona (three different seasons), Dwight Yorke (1998-99) and Wayne Rooney (five different seasons) in reaching the landmark.
Bruno Fernandes has scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists this season.
HARRY HOUDINI ESCAPES PUNISHMENT
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is back in the Red Devils starting XI this afternoon, and he will be hoping his good fortune in this fixture will continue for another 90 minutes at least.
In United’s last two Premier League meetings with Chelsea, the England defender has been extremely lucky to avoid both the conceding of a penalty and the receiving of a red card.
Maguire was adjudged not to have fouled Cesar Azpilicueta in October despite putting the Chelsea skipper in the perfect headlock, while last February his kick out at Michy Batshuayi went unpunished. Both incidents were examined by VAR to no avail.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTES
26 Henderson, 3 Bailly, 9 Martial, 19 Diallo, 27 Telles, 31 Matic, 33 Williams, 34 Van de Beek, 38 Tuanzebe
MANCHESTER UNITED XI
It’s five changes for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the Manchester United boss rested some key players for the game against Real Sociedad on Thursday. David de Gea is back in goal with captain Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw returning to the defence. Scott McTominay has won his fitness battle to start in midfield while Marcus Rashford gets the nod at the top of United’s 4-2-3-1 shape. Dean Henderson, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial all drop to the bench.
1 De Gea; 29 Wan-Bissaka, 2 Lindleof, 5 Maguire, 23 Shaw; 39 McTominay, 17 Fred; 11 Greenwood, 18 Fernandes, 21 James; 10 Rashford
CHELSEA SUBSTITUTES
1 Kepa, 3 Alonso, 5 Jorginho, 10 Pulisic, 11 Werner, 15 Zouma, 24 James, 29 Havertz, 33 Emerson
CHELSEA XI
Thomas Tuchel makes three changes to the side that defeated La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. There’s a rare start under the German coach for Ben Chilwell on the left while N’Golo Kante comes into the centre of midfield. Marcos Alonso and Jorginho subsequently drop to the bench, as does Timo Werner to allow for the recall of Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan’s return will mean a slight shift to a 3-4-2-1 shape with Olivier Giroud leading the line.
16 Mendy; 28 Azpilicueta, 4 Christensen, 2 Rudiger; 20 Hudson-Odoi, 7 Kante, 18 Kovacic, 21 Chilwell; 22 Ziyech, 19 Mount; 18 Giroud
THE TEAMSHEETS ARE IN!
BRAGGING RIGHTS AT THE BRIDGE
Manchester United have won on their last three visits to Stamford Bridge in all competitions, clocking up victories in the FA Cup and League Cup in 2019 before leaving with all three points in the Premier League last February. The Red Devils have never before won four in a row away at Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Chelsea haven’t lost four consecutive home games to a single opponent since a run of four defeats by Graham Taylor’s Watford that took place between 1981 and 1986.
TUCHEL KEEPING IT TIGHT
Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in each of their first three Premier League home games under new head coach Thomas Tuchel: 0-0 v Wolves, 2-0 v Burnley and 2-0 v Newcastle.
The Blues last went four home games without conceding a goal in January 2018 before Bournemouth crudely interrupted the run with a memorable 3-0 away victory.
Meanwhile, the only manager to see his side keep clean sheets their first four home Premier League games is Brendan Rodgers as boss of Swansea City in 2011.
UNITED FLYING ON THE ROAD
Manchester United are unbeaten in 19 Premier League away games (W13 D6), a run that began with a 2-0 win at Chelsea on February 17 last year.
This is the Red Devils’ longest unbeaten away run in their top-flight history, beating their previous record of 17 that they registered between December 1998 and September 1999.
However, that streak came to an abrupt end at Stamford Bridge in October 1999 when United were crushed 5-0. Chris Sutton and Guy Poyet ran riot for the Blues, while Nicky Butt was sent off for retaliating to Dennis Wise’s sneaky pinch.
GOOD AFTERNOON FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE
Welcome to SunSport’s live coverage of the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester United.
It’s back to domestic matters for these clubs after they did the business in Europe in midweek, and this contest could go a long way to ensuring which continental competition the two take part in next season.
Weekend defeats for Leicester and West Ham have offered an opportunity for the Premier League heavyweights to stake their claim for a top-four finish and the Champions League football that comes with it.
The Blues registered a fantastic result in that very competition on Wednesday by beating Atletico Madrid in Bucharest and, in the process, stretched their unbeaten run since Thomas Tuchel took charge to eight games.
The German head coach is yet to see his defence breached at Stamford Bridge, but that backline will once again take to the field this afternoon without the experience of Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian is the only absentee from a Chelsea squad that is otherwise at full strength, and targeting a win that will lift them above the Hammers and into fourth place.
United’s title challenge may have faltered in recent weeks in the wake of Manchester City’s dominance, but a victory today will leave them in pole position to take the runners-up spot come May.
It’s been an improved campaign built on impressive away form with the Red Devils currently on a club-record streak of 19 league games on the road without defeat – a run that started at this very ground one year and 11 days ago.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is short of numbers in midfield with Paul Pogba and Juan Mata ruled out of the trip to London, and there are also doubts surrounding the fitness of Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Dan James and Edinson Cavani.
We’ll have news of the starting line-ups shortly before the action gets underway at 4.30pm.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
