Manchester United vs Chelsea
Ruud van Nistelrooy will make his Premier League managerial debut on Sunday when Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman is off to a flying start as the Red Devils’ interim manager, starting with a 5-2 victory against Leicester City in the EFL Cup Round of 16, and he will continue with his current role in the meantime as we wait for Ruben Amorim’s arrival from Sporting.
He will have his work cut out for him, as Manchester United are 14th in the standings with 11 points, which is nine places below Chelsea (17 points).
Chelsea are doing well under Enzo Maresca. However, they are coming off a 2-0 loss against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup Round of 16 yesterday, so they’re keen to bounce back.
Who do you think will win this high-profile clash? Check out our latest SBOTOP match preview by continuing to read below.
Talking Points
Casemiro is still class for Manchester United
Much of the criticism against Manchester United is the fact that they haven’t been clinical enough with the chances they’ve created so far, as they’ve only scored eight league goals so far this season.
It happened again during their 2-1 loss against West Ham United last weekend, costing Erik ten Hag his job, so it was a sight for sore eyes when they scored five goals against Leicester City.
Casemiro was the standout performer against the Foxes, as he put on an absolute clinic. The Brazilian enforcer looked like prime Paul Scholes with his stunning strike in the 15th minute to open the floodgates, and he completed his brace with a controlled finish 24 minutes later.
Besides his goalscoring exploits, Casemiro, who also scored against the Hammers, was praised for controlling the tempo in the middle of the park alongside Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte.
Alejandro Garnacho was also on the scoresheet with one goal, while Bruno Fernandes also had a brace to break his duck.
Noussair Mazraoui, Rasmus Hojlund, and Amad Diallo all came off the bench against the Foxes, while Christian Eriksen was given the day off. Ruud van Nistelrooy could give them all more playing time when the Blues visit town.
Maresca to bring back Chelsea’s big hitters
Enzo Maresca rotated his squad against the Magpies, but it didn’t work since they failed to score a single goal despite having more chances in the final third.
Cole Palmer took the day off against Newcastle United, so he should have fresher legs against Manchester United, and he’ll have Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, and Pedro Neto as his attacking partners.
Palmer and Jackson are regulars in the Premier League 2024 highlights reel, as they already have 13 league goals and nine assists between them this season, while Madueke has four.
Furthermore, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto, and Robert Sanchez could be brought back into the starting lineup.
Jadon Sancho has fizzled out after a hot start with the Blues, but he won’t get his chance to inflict pain on his former employers because he is on loan.
History
Despite their lacklustre form in the Premier League, Manchester United will be confident about their chances because they have been unbeaten in their last 11 home league matches against Chelsea (W5, D6). The Red Devils are also aiming to win three in a row against the Blues at Old Trafford for the first time since January 1957.
Chelsea defeated Manchester United 4-3 in their last meeting in April, mainly because of Cole Palmer’s exploits. The Blues plan to win consecutive league games against the Red Devils for the first time since March 2011.
Manchester United vs. Chelsea is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 26 of their previous 64 clashes between the sides seeing them both sharing the spoils.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2024 odds expect another close encounter between Manchester United and Chelsea. Because of their most recent win, Manchester United have the slight edge at 2.41 to win, whereas Chelsea are at 2.46, and a draw is at 3.58 in the 1X2 market.
Playing at Old Trafford has been Chelsea’s kryptonite in the past few years, and we feel that such a trend should continue since Manchester United will play at home and are experiencing the so-called “new manager bounce.”
Both teams are expected to score goals on Sunday, but not too many. With that said, bettors can also go for Total Goals 2-3 at 2.17, Under 3.50 at 1.71, and Under 3.00 at 2.25 as alternatives.
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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