Man Utd v Chelsea Betting Tips: Blues to end United’s top four hopes?
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Odds and preview for crucial Premier League match
Manchester United have won only two of their last nine matches, form which has seen them become the rank outsiders to take a place in this season’s top-four.
Chelsea have benefited from the poor form of others around them, and now hold fourth place with only three games remaining. Maurizio Sarri’s side haven’t been at the top of their game either recently, but he could motivate the Blues to come alive in such a big game.
Can Eden Hazard’s magic inspire Chelsea to down United at Old Trafford, or can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instil the fighting spirit he showed as a player in 1999 into his side?
We’ve got all the odds and info ahead of kick-off, with the game live on Sky Sports Main Event from 4:30pm…
Head-to-head
There’s been no dominant force in this fixture in recent years. After five years of Chelsea dominance, the tide has steadied and United have fought their way back into contention.
Ole’s side won the most recent meeting back in February, beating the Blues 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round of the FA Cup, thanks to goals from Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba.
Each team has bagged two wins in the last five meetings between the pair, with a 2-2 draw being played out at Stamford Bridge in the first league meeting in October. A late Ross Barkley goal snatched a point for Sarri’s side right at the death.
Likely XIs
Man Utd: De Gea; Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw; Herrera, Fred, Pogba; Lingard; Lukaku, Rashford.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Willian, Higuain, Hazard.
The Red Devils were left disappointed in midweek after their 2-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City, but their first half performance gave them plenty to be hopeful about.
Antonio Valencia is still missing for the home side, but it’s not expected that Solskjaer will change too much from the game against City. Matteo Darmian is likely to occupy his seat on the bench again, with either Ashley Young or Diogo Dalot taking up the right-back role.
After becoming such an influential figure for the Blues in recent weeks, they’ll have to cope without youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi, after he limped off with a torn Achilles during their draw against Burnley.
The West Londoners could also be without Antonio Rudiger after the German centre-back limped off the field with a knee injury in their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola is hopeful over Rudiger’s availability, though it’s not expected he’ll be risked.
Key Battles
For Manchester United, they’ll have to stop Eden Hazard from showing what he can do when he’s at the top of his game. He had a tough night of it against Burnley on Monday, but you still saw glimpses of what he can do.
Chelsea will need to make sure Pogba doesn’t get gifted the space he craves to create. He’s got an eye for a pass, and usually if he’s given the space, he can thread the ball through the eye of a needle and split defences with ease.
Gonzalo Higuain hasn’t shone on the biggest of Premier League stages so far this season, with four goals coming against Huddersfield, Fulham and Burnley. Could be bag his first goal against one of the league’s top-six?
On the red half, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku need to show what they’re all about again. The goals have dried up for United’s front two, but the pair usually find their form when Chelsea are in town.
Andreas Christensen will need to be on top form if he’s drafted in for Rudiger, though if the German does make it back in time, his man of the match performance in last season’s FA Cup final against this opposition could play on the United’s strikers’ minds.
Match Odds
For the second time in a week, Manchester United come into a home tie at Old Trafford as underdogs to pick up three points. They’re 33/20 to get the better of the Blues.
Now Chelsea have a top-four finish in their grasp, Sarri could mastermind a dominant performance here. They’re favourites to leave Manchester with three points at 13/8.
A draw wouldn’t suit either side, but depending on other results, it would suit the away side far more. Think the second league fixture will end as a draw like the first did? We’ve got 23/10 on the points being shared.
Hazard is having one of his best seasons in a Chelsea shirt, with the Belgian already notching 16 league goals. He’s a 9/2 favourite to net first for the Blues, or there’s 17/10 on him scoring anytime.
United’s Belgian striker Lukaku is the most likely to score first for the Red Devils. He’s priced at 9/2, or you can get 9/5 on him scoring anytime.
Think this is the game Higuain breaks his top-six goal drought? He’s 9/4 to score anytime at Old Trafford.
View the latest Man Utd v Chelsea odds at Coral.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
