The
race for a Champions League spot continues live on Sky Sports on Sunday as
Manchester United try to keep their top-four hopes alive with victory over
Chelsea.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side must win to keep alive any realistic hopes of
Champions League football next season, while Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea need
victory to fend off city rivals Arsenal, who are close behind in the race
for fourth.
Neither side can afford to slip up as Solskjaer desperately tries to reverse
United's fortunes, and Sarri looks to get his side back into the Champions
League.
Chelsea are fourth in the standings, three points behind Tottenham, a point
above Arsenal and three above United. If Chelsea finish outside the top
four, they will have to win the Europa League to qualify for the Champions
League.
United go into Sunday's clash three points behind Chelsea in the race for
Champions League qualification and with the need for a turnaround in form
becoming ever more desperate.
Fifth-placed Arsenal, who face Leicester at the King Power on Sunday, are
also in with a shout for the top four. They are two points ahead of
Manchester United, but have a superior goal difference to both United and
Chelsea. They can also qualify for the Champions League should they win the
Europa League.
Chelsea cannot afford to lose at Manchester United on Sunday, says Chelsea
manager Sarri.
However, Chelsea are yet to win a single point away at a 'top six' club this
season. They have lost four games, conceding 13 goals and scoring only one,
and face a United side hurting from a 2-0 midweek humbling at the hands of
Manchester City.
"We have two very important targets at the end of our season," said Sarri.
"The first is the top four and the second is to get to the final of the
Europa League.
"For the first target, this match is more than important for us and for our
opponents. So we will try to win, of course, but we need not to lose. It's a
very difficult match for both I think."
Manchester United have not been good enough over the past five seasons, says
manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and face a "great challenge" to compete at the
top again.
The end of Solskjaer's honeymoon period has now seen seven defeats from the
last nine matches, but he believes the results are a reflection of United's
overall level rather than a sudden dip.
"The total points is 70 in average for the last five seasons, we're now on
64, so that's where we're at, that is the reality that we are in now, where
we've been in the last five seasons and that's not good enough," he said.
"That's not down to the last six, seven or eight games, that's where we are
at the moment and we have a great challenge ahead of us to get us up
challenging again."
Manchester United team news
Ander Herrera could return for Manchester United's Premier League clash with
Chelsea on Sunday
The midfielder has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury but is
back in training, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed goalkeeper David de
Gea will keep his place despite poor recent form.
Midfielder Scott McTominay missed Wednesday's derby defeat after failing a
fitness test and is again a doubt along with defender Phil Jones, who
hobbled off against Everton last weekend.
Man Utd's provisional squad
De Gea, Romero, Grant, Dalot, Darmian, Bailly, Valencia, Young, Jones, Shaw,
Lindelof, Rojo, Smalling, Herrera, Fred, Matic, McTominay, Pereira, Pogba,
Lingard, Mata, Martial, Sanchez, Lukaku, Rashford.
Chelsea team news
Antonio Rudiger should shake off his knee injury in time for Chelsea's
Premier League trip to Manchester United on Sunday.
The Germany defender hobbled out of the Blues' 2-0 league loss at Liverpool
but is closing in on full fitness.
N'Golo Kante remains a doubt due to a rib injury suffered in Monday's 2-2
draw with Burnley, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is a long-term absentee after
Achilles surgery.
Chelsea's provisional squad
Kepa, Azpilicueta, Emerson, Rudiger, Christensen, Luiz, Jorginho, Kante,
Loftus-Cheek, Higuain, Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Barkley, Caballero, Barkley,
Kovacic, Giroud, Alonso, Cahill.
Opta stats
Manchester United have won their last two Premier League home games against
Chelsea - they've not beaten the Blues in three top-flight games in a row at
Old Trafford since January 1957 under manager Matt Busby.
Chelsea have won more Premier League games against United than any other
side have in the competition (18).
United have won three of their last six meetings with Chelsea in all
competitions (D1 L2), having failed to win any of the previous 12 against
them (D5 L7).
United have lost three games against London sides in the Premier League this
season (vs Tottenham, West Ham and Arsenal). They last lost against more
different London sides in a single top-flight campaign back in 1989-90
(Arsenal, Charlton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Tottenham).
Chelsea have lost their last six Premier League away games against fellow
'big six' sides, including all four this season by an aggregate score of
1-13. Indeed, they're winless in eight such games (D2 L6) since beating
Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley in August 2017.
Chelsea haven't gone three Premier League games without a win since
September 2016. Following that previous run, the Blues went on a 13-game
winning streak in the competition.
Anthony Martial scored twice in the reverse fixture against Chelsea this
season. The only United players to score home and away Premier League goals
against the Blues in the same season are Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 and Eric
Cantona in 1992-93.
Chelsea's N'Golo Kante has scored nine goals in all competitions in his four
seasons in England, with Manchester United the only side he's scored more
than once against (2).
Gonzalo Higuain's four goals for Chelsea this season have been against teams
currently in the bottom six. He's played five games and 323 minutes against
the top six sides in all competitions for the Blues, managing just one shot
on target in those games.
Eden Hazard has been directly involved in 10 of Chelsea's 23 Premier League
away league goals this season (5 goals, 5 assists), double that of any other
player at the club (Ross Barkley 5).
Chelsea's six Premier League wins at Old Trafford have come under six
different managers (Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit, Claudio Ranieri, Jose
Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez), with five of those victories
being the manager's first such game at the ground with the Blues.
Merson's prediction
I expect United to win, believe it or not. I think [Marcus] Rashford will be
too much for the Chelsea defence. I watch Chelsea, if [Eden] Hazard doesn't
turn up it's difficult, or if teams keep him quiet. You've seen teams do it
before.
I don't think there's a lot between the teams, [N'Golo] Kante being injured
changes things, if he does play then they might have too much energy for
United's midfield but otherwise, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be moving out to
the left, Jorginho is never going to get you a goal and [Mateo] Kovacic - I
can't remember when he last had a shot.
It's just because of Rashford, no other reason, I think he'll have too much
for David Luiz and [Andreas] Christensen.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
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