Manchester United will aim to build on the superb midweek performance when they welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Gameweek 10 of the 2024/25 Premier League season continues on Sunday, with the action kicking off with the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in North London. The final match on the day will be Manchester United vs Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have endured a horrendous start to the 2024/25 season, with their travails costing Erik ten Hag his job. The Red Devils have appointed Ruud van Nistelrooy as the interim manager, and his stint began with an exciting 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup this week. Meanwhile, they have announced Ruben Amorim as their new head coach, and the 39-year-old will take over after the international break.
As for Chelsea, they have settled down well under the tutelage of Enzo Maresca while enduring a few setbacks. The Blues are fifth in Premier League standings and in outside contention to win the Premier League title, with Manchester City six points clear. However, the visitors come into this game on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United, which booted them out of the EFL Cup.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Manchester United eke out a 2-1 win over Chelsea, with Scott McTominay scoring a match-winning brace. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruud van Nistelrooy does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United interim manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Leny Yoro (foot), Harry Maguire (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Luke Shaw (calf), Kobbie Mainoo (hamstring), Mason Mount (knock), and Antony (ankle) remain on the sidelines. Malacia and Mount are the closest to returning to action, although no player should return until after the international break.
Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Sunday. The backline should feature Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, and Noussair Mazraoui.
As for the midfield unit, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte should get the nod over Christian Eriksen, with the duo keeping things tight in the middle of the park. Bruno Fernandes will reprise the no. 10 role, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will likely lead the line for Manchester United against Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, de Ligt, Martinez, Mazraoui; Casemiro, Ugarte; Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Chelsea
Unlike his interim counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Enzo Maresca has a new roster issue to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Chelsea manager will be without two first-team players on Sunday.
Jadon Sancho is the latest absentee, with the English international ineligible to face his parent club Manchester United due to the terms of the loan agreement. Omari Kellyman is the only other absentee, with the youngster recovering from a hamstring injury.
Robert Sanchez will take his spot between the sticks despite his recent shortcomings. Chelsea will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of the Spaniard vs Manchester United on Sunday. The backline should feature Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Malo Gusto.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia should pair up in the double pivot, with Enzo Fernandez missing out. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Manchester United this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Gusto; Caicedo, Lavia; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Key Stats
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games vs Chelsea (W5 D6). The Red Devils can win three successive top-flight matches against the Blues at Old Trafford for the first time since 1957.
- Should Manchester United fail to win on Sunday, they will have their lowest points total after ten league fixtures since 1986/87, the season which saw Sir Alex Ferguson take charge on November 6 (after 13 matches). Only Southampton and Crystal Palace have scored fewer top-flight goals this term than the Red Devils (prior to the latest round of fixtures).
- Chelsea have lost three of their last 24 Premier League matches (W14, D7), with those defeats coming against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. The Blues have won 10 of 14 top-flight fixtures (D2 L2) since the start of May.
- Manchester United have underperformed their expected goals figure by 6.8 in the Premier League this season, the biggest negative differential of any side.
- Nicolas Jackson has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 14 Premier League games, scoring 10 and assisting four.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
The infamous “new manager bounce” syndrome is often seen at the macro and micro levels. The player who exemplified that the most earlier this week was Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international looked a shell of his best self under Erik ten Hag but was a man reborn earlier in the EFL Cup clash.
Meanwhile, Fernandes has failed to score in 12 consecutive Premier League appearances. However, the Manchester United captain scored twice in Wednesday’s EFL Cup win over Leicester City, his first club goals of the season. The 30-year-old will be eager to build on that performance this weekend against Chelsea.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-2 Chelsea
Ruud van Nistelrooy will look to continue building the momentum after a solid start to life as the Manchester United interim manager. However, Chelsea will give the Red Devils a run for their money, considering the impact Enzo Maresca has had thus far this season.
While the Manchester United players will have a spring in their step, Cole Palmer will run riot in the final third and take advantage of the home side’s defensive deficiencies. Ultimately, there might not be much to separate the two sides, considering their vulnerabilities. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
