Manchester United vs Cheslea – Match Preview (Sunday 18.09.11, 16.00)

 

Andre Villas-Boas will need his team to be at their best as they take on an in-form Manchester United team at Old Trafford.

The two teams have dominated English football over the last decade, which is likely to continue but with the inclusion of United’s rivals Manchester City.

Since taking charge, AVB has seen his team pick-up ten points, meaning they sit two behind their Sunday hosts who currently have a 100% record.

There are expected to be changes from the team that won comfortably against Bayer Leverkusen during the week, with John Terry and Frank Lampard expected to return to the starting XI.

The game has come too soon for Didier Drogba who is still recovering from his head injury, that he sufferred against Norwich before the international weekend.

Manchester United will be missing the quartet of Danny Welbeck, Rafael, Tom Cleverley and captain Nemanja Vidic. Young Cleverley, has been a revelation since coming back from his loan spell at Wigan.

Sir Alex Ferguson, is likely to recall Rio Ferdinand, who was rested for Champions League game with Benfica, where United picked up an away point in the 1-1 draw.

ONE TO WATCH

Wayne Rooney – There is no question that the English international is on fire, he has scored eight of United’s 18 league goals, which included back-to-back hat-tricks – should he do the same against the Blues, he will become the first player to score three consecutive Premier League trebles. There is some contrast to the player who struggled for form after the World Cup in South Africa and requested a transfer less than a year ago.

When Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 in the league clash in May, it put an end to three successive league defeats for United.

Since the Premier League was formed there have been 38 meetings, with the Blues winning 13 of those compared to Manchester United’s 11.

Bad news for Chelsea is that they have only had one clean sheet in their last 16 league trips to Old Trafford, which was back on the 1st December 2001, when the Blues won 3-0 thanks to goals from Mario Melchiot, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbank and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

PREDICTION

1-1, It will be a tight game, and it could see the end of United’s 100% record.

By Scott Balaam

Twitter @theshed11