Manchester United and Chelsea will be eager to return to winning ways when they clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 2025/26 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 5. The latest round of fixtures begins the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield before the action continues with four simultaneous matches. The next game will be Manchester United vs Chelsea at Old Trafford, a tie that features two teams at vastly different stages of their evolution.
Manchester United may have shown considerable improvement under Ruben Amorim this term, but that will count for nothing if the results do not follow. The Red Devils have produced high chance creation, greater volume of shot-taking, and relatively solid defensive displays. However, only one win in five outings thus far in the 2025/26 season has not corroborated that augmentation.
On the other hand, Chelsea suffered a defeat for the first time in the 2025/26 season, going down 3-1 to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. However, the Blues have been solid in the first month of the 2025/26 Premier League season, although they are now two games without a win since the international break ended.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea come from a goal down to hold Manchester United to a 1-1 draw. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of only two first-team players vs Chelsea on Saturday.
Mason Mount (muscular) and Matheus Cunha (hamstring) are fit and available after recovering from their minor issues. So, Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Diogo Dalot (knock) are the only absentees for the home side, with the duo likely to return next month.
Senne Lammens should get the nod for his Manchester United debut vs Chelsea after another dreadful display by Altay Bayindir against Manchester City. The home side will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of the Belgian shot-stopper, with the central defensive unit featuring Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Luke Shaw.
Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu will start as the two wing-backs, with the duo providing width in the final third and protecting the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in the middle of the park. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Manchester United against Chelsea, with Bryan Mbeumo and the fit-again Cunha completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, de Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Enzo Maresca has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Chelsea manager will be without as many as half a dozen first-team players on Saturday.
Levi Colwill is the most notable absentee, with the homegrown defender recovering from a long-term knee injury. The English international accompanies Benoit Badiashile (muscular), Romeo Lavia (knock), Dario Essugo (hamstring), and Liam Delap (thigh) in the treatment room. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable after failing a doping test several months ago.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Saturday. The backline should feature Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joao Pedro will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Manchester United.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
Key Stats
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League home games vs Chelsea (W5 D7) since a 0-1 defeat in May 2013. The West London giants’ win rate of 18 per cent at Old Trafford in the Premier League (6/33) is their lowest away to any side they have visited ten or more times in the competition. Meanwhile, after their 1-0 win in May, the Blues are looking for successive league victories over Manchester United for the first time since winning three consecutive matches from November 2009 to March 2011 under Carlo Ancelotti. Their two wins in their three most recent Premier League games versus the Red Devils (D1) are as many as their previous 17 beforehand (W2 D9 L6).
- Manchester United have won two of their last three home Premier League matches (L1), as many as in their previous 11 at Old Trafford (W2 D2 L7). They are looking for consecutive home league victories within the same season and under the same manager for the first time since December 2023 under Erik ten Hag.
- Only Manchester City (8.5) have a higher expected goals total than Manchester United (8.3) thus far in the Premier League this season. However, only Burnley (9.4), Aston Villa (7.4) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (7.2) have a higher xG against than the Red Devils (6.9).
- Despite scoring only five times, Manchester United have produced 94 shots in their last four home Premier League games, attempting at least 20 in every match. They most recently had 20+ shots in more consecutive Premier League games at Old Trafford between March and September 2012 under Sir Alex Ferguson (8).
- No player has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Joao Pedro (5 – G2 A3). The Brazilian international has also scored three times in his five games against Manchester United in the English top flight; against no side has he netted more.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
While Bryan Mbeumo, Cole Palmer, and Alejandro Garnacho were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese international may not have been at his best in the early days of the 2025/26 season, but he has created the most chances overall (14) and from open play (10) in the Premier League this term, although he has yet to provide an assist. The 31-year-old will make his 200th Premier League appearance in this match.
The Manchester United captain will become the 28th player to reach that milestone for the Red Devils. Fernandes has 51 assists for the struggling Premier League giants, with only David Beckham managing more in his first 200 for the club (62).
Prediction
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea vs Manchester United is the most drawn tie in Premier League history, with those matches finishing level 27 times. Saturday’s clash may be no different, even though Manchester United’s capitulation in the Manchester Derby provides cause for optimism for Chelsea. Meanwhile, 14 of those draws have come at Old Trafford, and this weekend may witness another stalemate.
However, a somewhat positive result for Manchester United may not be possible unless Bruno Fernandes delivers the goods in the final third. Nevertheless, the return of Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount is a shot in the arm for Ruben Amorim, and it will lead to an improved display from the home side.
However, Chelsea will put Manchester United to the sword, and the game will go down to the wire. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely-contested affair between the two Premier League bigwigs, and it should end in a 1-1 draw.
