Prediction: Manchester United vs Chelsea

Verdict: Manchester United draw no bet

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: William Hill

A lot is at stake for the Champions League-chasing Manchester United, who host Premier League leaders Chelsea in an eye-catching fixture at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Red Devils look to put another twist on a fascinating title race.

Manchester United

Jose Mourinho’s men are enjoying a 21-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and will be hoping to extend the positive stretch as they prepare to host Blues on Sunday in chase for the Champions League place. Mourinho’s side sit fifth in the table, four points behind Manchester City but with a game in hand on their rivals with the next season’s place in Europe’s top club competition very much within grasp. The Red Devils are under great pressure ahead of the highly-anticipated clash however, as their unbeaten run has not been entirely up to Jose Mourinho’s satisfaction. Namely, the Red Devils have been pegged back nine times at home in the Premier League and are coming off from back-to-back stalemates against Everton and West Bromwich Albion. Improvement is the striking department is needed as Manchester United seem to have lost their edge a bit, which was also evident in their frustrating 1-1 draw at Anderlecht in the Europa league during the week. Old Trafford-based club need to step up their efforts and do something they haven’t managed in their previous eight Premier League games against Chelsea. United failed to win any of those matches, which makes for their longest-ever winless streak against a single Premier League opponent. Dav

Team News

David De Gea is expected to return in goal after a small hip injury that kept him out of the Sunderland clash, while Antonio Valencia is also expected to be fit following his muscular problem.

Mourinho still has several players on the sidelines as Phile Jones, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young all miss out through injuries.

Chelsea

The shock 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park failed to derail Chelsea in their title chase as Antonio Conte’s men made a swift return to winning ways with consecutive triumphs over Manchester City and at Bournemouth last time out. The Blues sit in the leading place with seven-point advantage over second-placed Tottenham and Antonio Conte has urged his players not to relax just yet as any additional slip-up could make the Premier League race wide open once again. Chelsea comprehensively defeated Manchester United in the reverse fixture back in October, when Antonio Conte’s men celebrated a comprehensive 4-0 win. The forthcoming clash will be the third meeting of the two sides, following Chelsea’s 1-0 win in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Plenty of attention will be directed towards the two managers who got engaged in the touchline argument in each of the two previous matches, so it is fair to say that a fiercely-contested clash should be expected in every single aspect of the game. The Sunday’s match marks the clash of the club’s top scorers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa, who both stand at 17 Premier League matches thus far in the season.

Team News

Victor Moses returned to action in last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, which means Antonio Conte will have no injuries to worry about as the Italian is expected to go with his strongest line-up against Manchester United.

Key Factors to Consider

• Man United are enjoying 21-match unbeaten run
• Red Devils drew 9 Premier League matches at Old Trafford this season
• United failed to beat Chelsea in their 8 EPL meetings
• Chelsea enjoy seven-point lead at the top of the standings
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa both scored 17 EPL goals thus far

Conclusion

Fiercely-contested clash both on the pitch and on the touchline, is expected at Old Trafford as Chelsea look to preserve their seven-point gap at the top of the table. On the other side, United are hoping for their first win after eight failed league attempts against the Blues so we should be in for a highly-eventful game.

Verdict: Manchester United draw no bet

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: William Hill