A historic Premier League encounter takes place at Stamford Bridge when Manchester United faces Chelsea with both sides looking for a boost in the second half of the season.
Chelsea host Man United for a classic top-flight encounter that has lost its essence in recent years due to the decline of both clubs and their failure to compete at the very top of the Premier League table.
In the first leg at Old Trafford, a brace from Scott McTominay led United back to winning ways as they climbed to sixth. While their most recent Stamford Bridge encounter saw a late Jorginho penalty upstaged by a Man Utd equalizer right at the death; this was the last of a run of five consecutive draws between these sides.
Chelsea has blown hot and cold all season as they began with one win and a draw from the first three league games. This was followed by a three-game winless run during which they didn’t score, but a victory over Fulham put them on course for a win and draw against Burnley and Arsenal respectively.
A 2-0 win for Brentford against Chelsea dampened the mood around SW6 but they bounced back with a 4-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur and then another eye-catching 4-4 draw against Manchester City. The heavy 4-1 loss to Newcastle set the tone for three consecutive defeats on the road to Manchester United, Everton, and Wolves; yet Chelsea won at Luton in their final game of 2023.
Cup engagements saw the Blues defeat Preston North End but lose at Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. They beat Fulham before the Premier League’s winter break and returned with a resounding 6-1 victory over Boro to reach the Cup final against Liverpool.
They had a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the FA Cup but failed their Cup final dress rehearsal following a damaging 4-1 defeat at Anfield. Mauricio Pochettino then completed perhaps his worst week in charge of Chelsea as they responded to that performance with a 4-2 home loss to Wolves.
The Blues must find their feet quickly as the inquest deepens regarding Mauricio Pochettino’s future, Chelsea continues to play without a clear identity and their inexperience and lack of mental strength are obvious in tough games.
The display against United in December is one such instance where they wilted under pressure and it remains to be seen whether they can fathom a response on home soil.
It has been an eventful campaign so far for the Red Devils themselves, with several injuries to key players, personal issues within the dressing room, poor form on the pitch as well as upheaval behind the scenes.
Three defeats and two wins from the first five games set an alarming precedent for what was to come for the Mancunians. A win and another loss followed against Burnley and Crystal Palace until United found some form thanks to second-half winning strikes from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot against Brentford and Sheffield United respectively.
That short reprieve was followed by successive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle (Carabao Cup). Thereafter, United won the next three in the league against Fulham, Luton and Everton although they couldn’t transfer that form to European competition.
Only three days after all but confirming their exit from the UCL group stage, the Red Devils fell to another defeat at Newcastle. A 2-1 win at home to Chelsea proved to be their last for the next four matches until a comeback win against Aston Villa in the final home game of 2023.
In keeping with their inconsistent performances, United were beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest then they advanced to the FA Cup fourth round after defeating Wigan and drew 2-2 against Tottenham.
Erik ten Hag’s side has returned from the Premier League’s winter break with three successive wins against Newport County (FA Cup), Wolves, and West Ham. They must continue with this momentum to secure an automatic European qualification spot for next season.
A win against Chelsea would thus be key in knocking off a potential challenger as well as increasing their chances.
Match tickets
This Premier League fixture takes place on Wednesday, April 3 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 6:45 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on each club’s website and those with a registered club membership will be given priority allocation.
Any fixture between Chelsea and Man United is always highly sought after which means Stamford Bridge should be full for this big match. Getting tickets for this match could be complicated for non-season ticket holders as official sources would be overwhelmed with demands.
Hence, traveling fans who need Chelsea vs Manchester United tickets are advised to make their search on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Reece James, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Wesley Fofana are the various names currently on the Chelsea treatment table but some should be available for the United game.
Elsewhere, Lisandro Martinez is facing another long lay-off after injuring his knee against West Ham. He is joined by the likes of Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Anthony Martial who is likely to have played his last games for the club as he comes towards the end of his contract after an operation on a groin injury.
Tyrell Malacia is back to individual training but his return date remains unclear.
Line-ups
Chelsea are in dire need of continuity due to their inconsistent results and performances, hence, Pochettino is desperate to find the balance in his team that he can depend on for the rest of the season.
The fitness of Christopher Nkunku is nevertheless a good step in that direction as the Frenchman would provide a boost of quality in attacking areas.
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandes; Palmer, Nkunku, Sterling; Jackson
Ten Hag would be keen to keep his key men available while he continues to engineer results after a disruptive first half of the season. Rasmus Hojlund has finally found his form having produced five goals and two assists from his last six matches and he would be crucial to a win at Stamford Bridge.
Man Utd: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw; Mainoo, Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Prediction
Both Chelsea and United have been wildly inconsistent this term but this is sure to be a spectacular fixture between traditional rivals.
This could go either way but United have shown tangible improvement in recent weeks while you are never sure what to expect from Chelsea on a match-to-match basis. Another draw might suffice here.
Chelsea 2-2 Man United