Chelsea vs Manchester United
Chelsea plan to strengthen their claim for a spot in next season’s Champions League when they host Manchester United for their next Premier League match at Stamford Bridge this weekend. Enzo Maresca’s side is fifth in the English top-flight standings with 63 points, level with sixth-seeded Aston Villa, who have a winnable game against Tottenham this weekend.
The Blues’ unbeaten run ended at the hands of Newcastle United last Sunday, so they must bounce back fast or else they might have to settle for a Europa League berth. Chelsea will also use this game to build momentum for their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis next week.
On the other hand, Manchester United’s abysmal league form continues. Ruben Amorim’s side remain winless in their last six games following a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United. They also plan to boost their confidence for next week’s Europa League final against Tottenham.
Talking Points
Jackson out for Chelsea
Up until their 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United last weekend, it had seemed that Chelsea were peaking at the right time with four wins and two draws in their six previous Premier League games. But now, it’s back to square one, and the Blues will miss one of their stars.
Chelsea conceded an early goal from Sandro Tonali, and their task was made even harder when Nicolas Jackson received a straight red card for hitting Sven Botman with his forearm nine minutes before halftime. Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella, and Reece James missed their opportunities to draw level, and Bruno Guimaraes made Chelsea pay by scoring one more goal before stoppage time.
Losing Jackson is a huge blow since he is one of the Blues’ top scorers this season with 10 league goals and six assists. Chelsea don’t have a natural striker, despite their £1 billion spending in the past few transfer windows. Pedro Neto or Cole Palmer could take his No. 9 spot, elevating Jadon Sancho as one of the starting wingers.
Manchester United have a backline problem
Manchester United have equalled their worst Premier League run of seven games without a win back in 1992 following last week’s 2-0 loss at West Ham United. Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen exposed the Red Devils’ toothless backline, and Leny Yoro’s departure after sustaining a foot injury made things worse for Manchester United and its fans.
Yoro may have walked out of the pitch in his power, but I don’t see Ruben Amorim playing him against Chelsea. Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven remain out due to their leg injuries, leaving Harry Maguire, Tyler Fredricson, and Victor Lindelof as Manchester United’s recognisable centre-backs.
Amorim could also give Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Rasmus Hojlund, and Noussair Mazraoui the night off, opening more playing time for Harry Amass, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Chido Obi-Martin, and Alejandro Garnacho.
History
No Premier League fixture has seen more draws than Chelsea against Manchester United (27). Last November, these two sides shared the spoils in another 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, as Bruno Fernandes and Moises Caicedo found the back of the net in the second half.
Manchester United have won just one of their last 11 Premier League away games against Chelsea (D5, L5) – a 2-0 victory in February 2020 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Chelsea have won just one of their last 14 Premier League games against Manchester United (D8, L5), though they haven’t lost their final home league game in any of the last 22 seasons (W15, D7) since a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in 2001-02. They have won 4-3 at this exact fixture last season, with Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer (hat-trick) scoring for the Blues and Alejandro Garnacho (brace) and Bruno Fernandes scoring for the Red Devils.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2025 odds are one-sided toward the hosts. Chelsea are 1.34 favourites to win, while Manchester United are huge 6.40 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.92 in the 1X2 market. Red Devils fans might not care too much about the result since getting their key players in form and fit is the utmost priority.
SBOTOP football fans and bettors can expect a few goals and new Premier League 2025 highlights from this contest, making options like Total Goal 2-3 at 2.22, Under 3.50 at 1.65, Under 3.25 at 1.86, and Under 3.00 at 2.13 worth considering. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of the reverse fixture – could yield a robust payday of 10.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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