Looking to secure an all-important Champions League spot, Chelsea welcome domestic strugglers Manchester United to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Friday night.
The Blues’ hopes of top-tier continental football were dented at the base of Newcastle United last time out, whilst the Red Devils suffered a sobering defeat at home to West Ham United.
Match preview
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After finishing sixth in the Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign, securing Conference League football for this term, Chelsea are aiming to go at least one position better this time around in order to qualify for the Champions League, a competition they won as recently as 2021 under Thomas Tuchel.
That being said, the Blues’ charge towards a top-five standing was stopped in its tracks by a rowdy bunch of Magpies in the North-East last Sunday afternoon, when goals either side of the half-time whistle from Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes sealed a 2-0 success for Newcastle.
Following a five-game winning run across all competitions, Chelsea’s first defeat in the Premier League since March 16 has left them hanging onto their Champions League spot by a thread, with Enzo Maresca‘s men occupying fifth spot, level on points with Aston Villa in sixth.
The Blues should be relatively confident of picking up a positive result this Friday at Stamford Bridge, where the West Londoners were last defeated in the Premier League all the way back on Boxing Day, when a last-minute strike from Rodrigo Muniz won the afternoon for neighbours Fulham.
Only runaway champions Liverpool (1) and Aston Villa (1) have lost fewer games at home in the Premier League than Chelsea’s two so far this season, with Friday’s hosts unbeaten across their last four competitive meetings with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge stretching back to February 2021.
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Manchester United extended their winless run in the Premier League to an astonishing seven matches on Sunday afternoon, when goals from midfielder Tomas Soucek and winger Jarrod Bowen secured a 2-0 win at the Theatre of Dreams for West Ham, who leapfrogged the hosts in the Premier League table.
Sitting in 16th spot in the top-flight rankings, the Red Devils are hurtling towards their worst-ever Premier League campaign, one which could be masked by an impending success in the Europa League, where the 20-time English champions face Tottenham Hotspur in the final next week.
Ruben Amorim‘s troops have collected just a single point across their most recent quartet of domestic away contests, with their last triumph on the road arriving on March 16, when goals from Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes defeated a Championship-bound Leicester City.
Coming out on the losing side of a top-flight battle on a staggering 17 occasions already this season, the Red Devils are languishing down in 16th spot clutching at a mere 39 points, only spared of an embarrassing relegation battle by the weakness of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton.
With league matches against Champions League hunters Chelsea and Villa scheduled either side of the Europa League final in Bilbao, there is a distinct possibility that Man United fail to reach the 40-point mark, an achievement synonymous with sides fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League.
Team News
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After seeing red during the first half at St James’ Park last weekend, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson is suspended for his side’s remaining Premier League matches of the season.
The ill-discipline of the 23-year-old has left Blues boss Maresca unable to call upon the services of a central striker, with Christopher Nkunku (knock) and Marc Guiu (hamstring) occupying spots in the medical room.
The hosts remain without the talents of centre-back Wesley Fofana (muscle) and Omari Kellyman (hamstring), with both players sidelined for the remainder of the term.
Jadon Sancho is unable to feature against his parent club at Stamford Bridge, meaning that Chelsea will be further restricted in attacking areas.
Man United also have a number of long-term absentees, including Joshua Zirkzee (hamstring), Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Diogo Dalot (calf).
The Red Devils’ defensive issues could be set to worsen, with centre-back Leny Yoro forced off with a foot injury during the defeat to West Ham last time out.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, George; Neto
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Bayindir; Fredricson, Lindelof, Shaw; Kamason, Eriksen, Ugarte, Amass; Mainoo, Garnacho, Obi
We say: Chelsea 3-1 Manchester United
Hunting down a spot in the Champions League, Chelsea will be confident of putting a Europa League-focused Man United to the sword on Friday night.
The Red Devils are likely to rest their key players ahead of next week’s crunch clash at San Mames, meaning that their winless run in the Premier League should extend to eight games.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
