Manchester United v Chelsea: preview and possible line-ups

TEAM NEWS 

Manchester United

Solskjear's amazing start as a manager of the team that saw him flourish as a player was one of those beautiful yet seemingly fitting football ocurrences, but the the 11-match unbeaten run, with 10 of those ending in victory is long gone. What has replaced it is a general feeling of dread and disappointment for both players and directives, as Manchester United is currently experiencing the team's worst run of form in 57 years, including back to back losses in the Premier League. The Red Devils are looking at tomorrow's clash with Chelsea as a season saving match: win it, and the Manchunians are right back in the mix for a top four finish; lose it, and Solskjaer's men will have a lot of explaining to do. The Norwegian coach has still managed to be in the running for a fourth place, despite only collecting six points in the last 18 on offer, but this exceptional situation is due to Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea and United having earned just one draw and suffered five defeats in their last six matches. And with the Red Devils playing in their Theatre of Dreams, it seems home supporters in attendance at Old Trafford have every right to feel anxious.

Chelsea

The blues headed to their clash against average Burnley knowing that a win would take them four points clear of their closest challenger, Arsenal. However, the team did not deliver, and only managed to pull of a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. Sarri will not need telling that his side have lost their last six Premier League away games against fellow big-six sides, including all four this season by an aggregate score of 13-1. Indeed, they are winless in eight such games since beating Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in August 2017. The inconsistency in away games will be a worry for Sarri's men, with the recent statistics - five of their last seven games away have been losses - showing so. Chelsea could still achieve European greatness through the Europa League, which means not all hope is lost. But with an irregular team and performance, added to the unpredictability of this season's Premier League, If Sarri is to hang on to his job, his side cannot afford to taste defeat in Old Trafford. 

MANAGER'S THOUGHTS 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

"You could see on Wednesday night there’s a team that wants to play and be there for each other, we weren’t doing our jobs at Everton and it’s a boy who was hurt, Rashy’s really hurt by losing the derby, we all are. The eye opener was the Everton one and, of course, the last 10 days have been hard for everyone and you might come out emotional"

"They’ve all seen the reality the last few weeks where we’re at, if you look at the team total points last five seasons, I don’t know if you can give me that average, and the total points is 70 for average, we’re now on 64, that’s where we’re at, the reality where we’ve been the last five seasons and that’s not good enough"

" It’s been an emotional season for players and club and that’s what you’ve got to deal with as a footballer player, coach and manager, deal with human beings" 

Maurizio Sarri

"The match is clear, at this moment it is very important, maybe more than that, for our target. So we will try to win of course, but we need not to lose. It is a very difficult match for both. We have to play against opponents with a very high level of motivation after Manchester derby".

"I think in the last two matches we had problems with the defensive phase, not just the line. We conceded from set pieces, which is the whole team. Against Slavia we conceded two goals when they shoot from 25 metres, so involved is the midfielders. We need to defend with more intensity and aggresivity sometimes."

"I think we are improving mentally and tactically. Before we were not able to fight, but we are able to react now. To cover the gap will be very difficult for us and the other teams. We need to work, to improve. This one is the third season of Guardiola and City and fifth of Klopp and Liverpool. It is a long way."

FORM GUIDE