The last time Chelsea faced Manchester United, the Blues made it so needlessly difficult for themselves that many fans felt as if they lost the game, despite drawing it 1-1. Chelsea needs to win this game to put a more satisfying distance between itself and Arsenal in the Premier League table as the season comes to a close.
Here’s who The Pride of London thinks Thomas Tuchel selects to start this game:
Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal
Edouard Mendy is on course to beat his clean sheet tally from last season. He has only played 28 out of the 32 league games this season too, which makes this feat even more impressive. He currently has 13 clean sheets and he finished last season with 16. Mendy needs just four clean sheets in the next six games to surpass last season’s total. This is achievable, but it won’t be easy for the Senegalese keeper. In fact, despite being out of the Champions League, Mendy still has a good chance of ending the season with the UEFA Champions League Golden Glove. He also ranks second for the least goals conceded per game in the UCL. In the Premier League, Mendy ranks joint-third for least goals conceded per game and also ranks joint-third in clean sheets.
Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Right centerback, Denmark
Andreas Christensen likely starts at right centerback for Chelsea in this one. His last appearance was a first-half nightmare against Arsenal, after which he was pulled out of his misery. He was benched and an unused against West Ham due to a slight problem, according to the manager. He may return for his passing and anticipation to combat the intelligent Man United forwards.
Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil
Thiago Silva started against West Ham and he was superb, as usual. This comes after he came on for Christensen in the second half of the Arsenal game. He was ineffective against Arsenal. His presence against West Ham helped the Blues control one aspect of the game: defense. Chelsea’s offense was horrendous in that game, but thanks to Silva and the defense, the team did not have two things to worry about, making substitutions easy.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany
Antonio Rudiger will probably be fit for this game, though it’s more than likely subject to a late fitness test. It is mostly confirmed now that Rudiger will be leaving for Real Madrid at the end of this season, though nobody knows what salary he has agreed to with the Spanish giants. Rudiger will be missed by large sections of the fanbase and undoubtedly Tuchel.