Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday, in what will be the highlight game of the Premier League this weekend. Both clubs have had difficult starts to the season and have fragile defences that have let in plenty of goals in the opening few weeks of the 2020-21 season, so we could be in for a high scoring game.
The Red Devils head into this game after an uplifting 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, while Chelsea could only manage a goal-less draw against Sevilla.
Although United have had a few woeful results lately, they stand a good chance of taking away all three points on Saturday. Let’s take a look at 3 reasons why Manchester United will beat Chelsea:
#1 Chelsea’s weak defence
One aspect of the game that both clubs have struggled with this season is defending. The Blues have let in nine goals in five games, while Manchester United have let in 12 goals in four games, with half of them coming in the game against Spurs.
Chelsea have let in goals against the weaker sides like West Brom and West Ham in the league this season, despite signing Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United’s porous defence could also be put down to the poor form of captain and defensive leader Harry Maguire. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side let in just 36 goals last season, while Chelsea conceded a whopping 54 goals.
Despite a few additions to the Blues defence, they still don’t look assured at the back. And with the speed of Marcus Rashford and creativity of Bruno Fernandes, the away side’s Achilles heel could be exposed once again.
#2 They have bounced back and are in good form
Manchester United have experienced two embarrassing losses this season, both coming at Old Trafford. The first one was against Crystal Palace, while Tottenham annihilated United a few weeks later. But the last week will be encouraging for Solskjaer.
Manchester United beat PSG away from home in their last game (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
They secured a good away win against Newcastle United, where they registered a whopping 28 shots, 14 of which were on target. And they continued that good form with another impressive victory against PSG.
The Red Devils defended well in that Champions League game and hit the French champions on the break – a tactic which worked well last season in big games for United.
#3 Manchester United’s record against Chelsea in the recent past
Manchester United have had the number over Chelsea in the recent past. Last season, the two sides met each other on four occasions – twice in the league, once in the League Cup and once in the FA Cup.
Solskjaer’s side lost just one of those encounters, which came in the FA Cup. The Red Devils haven’t lost to the London side in their last five encounters in the Premier League, with Chelsea’s last win in the league against United coming in 2017.
The manager knows how to set-up against big teams, while he also seems to know how to outfox Frank Lampard. With the players finally finding their groove, the Red Devils could continue their good record against The Pensioners.
Also read: Tuanzebe to Start: Team News and Predicted 5-3-2 Manchester United Lineup vs Chelsea
