Chelsea vs Manchester United - prediction, team news, lineups

Stamford Bridge is the venue for this weekend's pulsating Premier League lunchtime kickoff, which pits under-performing Chelsea against situation nine Manchester United.

Both Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick are astatine hazard of losing 3 successive games successful each tournaments this weekend, but fewer expected the second to adjacent marque the travel to the superior this weekend.

Match preview

Still backed by a ample information of the Old Trafford faithful - which is much than tin beryllium said for the players, INEOS and the Glazer household - Carrick has earned an unforeseen enactment of execution arsenic Man United manager amid the Red Devils' declining form.

In the eyes of many, Carrick was bidding farewell to the Theatre of Dreams aft past weekend's fearfulness amusement against Bournemouth, who astonishingly won 3-0 distant astatine Man United for the 3rd clip successful 4 seasons to plunge the nine into further catastrophe.

Despite present overseeing an eight-game winless tally successful each tournaments and six-match winless series successful the apical formation - leaving Man Utd 16th successful the Premier League table and conscionable 1 constituent supra the driblet portion - Carrick volition beryllium fixed time to crook the Red Devils' fortunes around.

However, the statement among fans and rivals alike is that neither Carrick nor immoderate imaginable successor tin crook the fortunes of the full nine around; that work lies with the men above, who person perpetually failed successful that respect with galore names astatine the helm.

As chaos continues to unfold astatine boardroom level, Carrick is attempting to yet pb Man United to their archetypal distant triumph of the play astatine the seventh effort this weekend, but their measly full of 7 points from 8 league games this play represents their worst commencement since each the mode backmost successful 1986-87.

Hosts Chelsea whitethorn find themselves 11 places and six points amended disconnected than Man United successful the Premier League rankings, but morale is hardly immoderate higher successful West London connected the backmost of successive defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

A Joao Pedro-less Blues broadside failed to asseverate their perennial dominance implicit Spurs astatine Stamford Bridge, succumbing to a daze 2-0 loss, earlier their EFL Cup run ended prematurely successful the 4th circular with a penalty-shootout decision to the Reds astatine Anfield.

Putting 7 past Bournemouth and Everton combined pursuing the planetary interruption was ostensibly a mendacious dawn for Chelsea, who person been bumped retired of the apical 4 and inactive clasp the dishonour of being the worst antiaircraft squad wrong the apical 10.

In fact, lone Crystal Palace (19) and Ipswich Town (16) person fto successful much goals than Chelsea's 15 successful the 2026-27 Premier League, and Alonso's men person conceded an mean of 2 per crippled astatine location frankincense far.

Furthermore, the Blues suffered back-to-back defeats to Man Utd successful the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, portion lone winning 3 of their past 19 head-to-heads successful each tournaments, offering the under-fire Carrick a crumb of humanities hope.

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Manchester United Premier League form:

Manchester United signifier (all competitions):

Team News

The expulsion of Bruno Fernandes from the XI to look Bournemouth people dominated the Man Utd headlines past weekend; Carrick stressed that his skipper was dropped for "pure football" reasons aft helium appeared to criticise his manager's tactics successful Como.

The brace person reportedly present held clear-the-air talks, and Fernandes should instrumentality to the Man Utd broadside connected Saturday, aft Carrick revealed successful his property league that the Portuguese remains "fully committed" to the club.

Kobbie Mainoo is besides backmost successful training, but Marcus Rashford's availability remains unclear, portion Luke Shaw (unspecified), Benjamin Sesko (shin), Manuel Ugarte (knee) and Patrick Dorgu (thigh) are inactive missing.

On Chelsea's end, each of Maxence Lacroix, Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto were substituted with issues astatine Anfield; the second 2 should beryllium good for Saturday, but Lacroix picked up a hamstring occupation and volition astir surely beryllium this 1 out.

The Frenchman joins Reece James (knee), Pedro (thigh), Emiliano Martinez (jaw) and Jamie Gittens (ankle) successful the infirmary, but Pep Chavarria whitethorn instrumentality from an unspecified injury, and Cole Palmer has served his one-game prohibition for his senseless reddish paper against Tottenham.

Despite an EFL Cup disasterclass, Wesley Fofana - who gave distant 1 punishment past fatally missed his successful the shootout against Liverpool - volition measurement successful for Lacroix, portion Palmer whitethorn beryllium deployed arsenic the mendacious 9 aft Danny Welbeck's unconvincing show successful midweek.

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Penders; Acheampong, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Henderson, Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Rogers

Manchester United imaginable starting lineup:

Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Santos, Baleba; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Mount; Cunha

We say: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United

With oregon without Fernandes successful the side, Man Utd are definite to make opportunities against a depleted Chelsea backline, but Carrick's ain antiaircraft problems arguably tally deeper.

Therefore, expect the Blues to beryllium the ones to respond to their caller setbacks, arsenic the Red Devils' disastrous tally continues successful the capital.

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