Chelsea predictions at Man U: Will either team step up and take it?
Tottenham continues to hold the door open for Chelsea to secure a place in the top-four. Manchester United hope to walk through the door and shove the Blues aside.
If Chelsea win, they go level on points with Tottenham, sliding into fourth place on goal differential. If Manchester United win, they go level on points with Chelsea, sliding into fifth on goal differential. Of course, that all depends on what Arsenal do in the early game. Let’s get on with the predictions.
Sourav Mahanty: Manchester United 1 – 0 Chelsea. Maurizio Sarri’s record away against the top six has been disastrous and there is no reason to believe anything will change today. Expect it to be the same uneventful and uninspiring routine that has become hallmark of the Sarri era, with Manchester United nicking a winner at the beginning of second half through a set piece.
Tan Yi Hao: 2 – 0. Maurizio Sarri’s stubborn adherence to his own style of play this season very much parallels a teacher who sets a relatively tough but similar test paper for her students throughout an entire year of examinations. Yes, the paper would be tough initially but eventually, because the questions are always the same, the students would begin to figure out solutions to the problems posed by their teacher.
The result? The paper no longer presents itself as anything of a challenge for anyone.
This season has seen Chelsea struggle against teams who press high, teams who sit back and teams who play on the break despite a strong start to the season.
In their own individual ways, teams have figured out some answer of their own against Sarri’s same old tactics. Yes, United have not been brilliant in terms of their current form but one would be foolish to think a manager like Ole Gunner Solskjaer would be unable to conjure up a formula of his own against Chelsea.
As such, given Chelsea’s poor record against the top six away from home, I think United will come out on top. Once again, Chelsea would fail to capitalise on the recent Spurs and Arsenal defeats to solidify their position in the top four.
Kevin Peacock: 0 – 1. Who knows? Chelsea’s form against their direct rivals for the top four is poor. However, United’s form at home recently has been equally so. This won’t be a goal fest and they’ll be plenty of suffering to be had.
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I support Chelsea so I’m giving it to Chelsea to edge 1-0. Quite how I expect them to keep a clean sheet is beyond my comprehension, but still, let’s be positive. Obviously, Eden Hazard gets the only goal as Maurizio Sarri sees his hopes or fears of staying at Chelsea rise.
Abhishek Pancholi: 2 – 0. This game used to be a six-pointer in terms of the title, just a few years ago. But both teams have lower expectations now, content with finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team talks have mostly consisted of making his squad watch that ‘Class of 92’ documentary on loop. It worked in the beginning, but there’s only so many times you can listen to that smug lot before you contemplate self-harm. That seems to have happened to United as well, with their recent form looking more like Phil Jones than David Beckham.
Maurizio Sarri has been setting Chelsea up like a mid-table Serie A side against fellow members of the Big Six. That looks set to continue, with Eden Hazard plodding alone up front and Jorginho getting bullied by Pogba in midfield. Chelsea will let in the first goal when one of the United defenders will out-jump David Luiz on a corner. The second will be an almost exact replica of the first one.
The rest of the game will be uneventful and a ridiculously boring exercise in maintaining possession, the kind of turgid display that Sarritologists keep trying to pass off as beautiful football.
Next. Key battles in Man U vs Chelsea include Luiz vs. Lukaku, Jorginho vs. Pogba. dark
Scott Brant: 1 – 2. United are in shambles, and the most Chelsea thing ever when given a chance for top four is to blow the easy win versus Burnley then take three against Manchester United. I dislike United more than any team – when I started watching they won absolutely everything. As a result, I take a lot of joy from them losing, especially in this fashion. Eden Hazard will take over the match and show everybody why his PFA snub is ridiculous.