Manchester United will take on Chelsea in their final Premier League home game of the season on Thursday. Manchester United needs only one point to guarantee Champions League football for the 2023-24 season. The Red Devils are on the verge of sealing a top-four finish thanks to their 1-0 win over Bournemouth last weekend while Chelsea lost by the same scoreline to champions Manchester City.
Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag takes charge of his debut season, sitting three points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand, and the fourth-placed Red Devils will assure themselves of a place in next season’s Champions League. However, they will get a second bite of the cherry against Fulham on Sunday if they fall short on Thursday.
The Red Devils have conceded just eight times at the Theatre of Dreams in the 2022-23 top flight. United has won each of their last four without shipping a goal and keeping clean sheets in each of their last six. This doesn’t make for pleasant reading for a goal-shy Chelsea side.
While the Blues have struggled throughout the season and currently languish in 12th position, they have shown glimpses of improvement under Frank Lampard. However, their away record is not satisfactory, with only two wins from their last 13 Premier League away games.
Both teams’ injury rosters are quite full. Marcus Rashford is expected to be fit and firing for Manchester United, and Anthony Martial may make way, with Lisandro Martinez (foot), Tom Heaton (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Marcel Sabitzer (knee), and Phil Jones (knee) all out injured. Chelsea has Benoit Badiashile facing a few months out with a groin problem sustained in training last week, Mason Mount (pelvic), Ben Chilwell (thigh), Armando Broja (knee), N’Golo Kante (groin), Marc Cucurella (thigh), Marcus Bettinelli (unspecified), and Reece James (thigh), all on the treatment table.
The last five meetings between Man United and Chelsea have ended level, with October’s clash at Stamford Bridge ending 1-1 for the third time in a row. Their last meetings since the pre-COVID days of February 2020 have all ended in stalemate, but a sixth draw in a row would be enough for Ten Hag’s men to dine at Europe’s top table.
Manchester United is the favorite to win, and our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals. The match result could end up with a dominant 2-0 win in favor of Man United. Regardless of the final score, it should be an interesting and important match for both sides.
