On November 4th at 0:30 China Time, a key match of the 2024/25 Premier League season will take place at Old Trafford, where Manchester United will host Chelsea. After nine rounds of the season, Manchester United has accumulated 11 points and ranks 13th in the league table, while Chelsea has 17 points and stands at 6th.
Manchester United has confirmed Sporting CP’s head coach Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag’s successor, but the Portuguese manager will not officially take over until November. Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue to lead the team in this home game against a blue-clad opponent. Previously, Manchester United won 5-2 against Leicester City in the midweek League Cup, advancing smoothly to the next round.
Manchester United tends to perform well in the first few matches under a club legend as an interim coach, similar to the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era, and now it is Van Nistelrooy’s turn. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both scored twice, and Facundo Pellistri also found the net, leaving Van Nistelrooy very pleased with the team’s offensive performance. However, he needs to sustain this goal-scoring momentum in the league, as Manchester United has only managed 8 goals in the first 9 league matches, making them one of five teams in the Premier League this season that have not scored double digits. Specifically, Manchester United’s goal tally ranks second to last among the 20 Premier League teams, and Ten Hag’s dismissal was partly due to the team’s lack of offensive firepower.
In contrast to Manchester United, Chelsea seems less concerned about their offensive capabilities under new manager Maresca. The league match against Newcastle United last week was a testament to the Blues’ firepower, with goals from Ethan Palmer and Sam Jackson securing the victory. These two players have scored 7 and 6 goals respectively, helping Chelsea, who have played one fewer match, equal Liverpool’s goal tally in the league, trailing only Manchester City by 2 goals, which is quite commendable.
In the midweek League Cup, Chelsea faced Newcastle United again and suffered a 0-2 away defeat, but the team appears unfazed by the loss, as they clearly prioritized other competitions after making wholesale changes. With Arsenal losing their league match this round, Chelsea realizes that a win on the weekend would propel them into the Champions League qualification zone, providing extra motivation for Maresca and his players to perform well away from home.
Chelsea is confident they can break through at Old Trafford, having scored in each of their last seven away league matches. Prior to their 1-2 loss to league leaders Liverpool in their previous away game, Chelsea had achieved a five-match winning streak in away Premier League games. However, Maresca needs to remind his players to maintain discipline on the field, as Chelsea has already seen 36 players booked, more than any other team in the Premier League.
In terms of personnel, Manchester United continues to struggle with injuries. Antony, Malacia, Maguire, Mount, Luke Shaw, Joroe, and Menou will all miss Sunday’s game, and Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen remains doubtful after withdrawing from the matchday squad in the midweek League Cup. Mazraoui and Onana, who did not start against Leicester City, are expected to return to the starting lineup.
On the Chelsea side, the situation is much more favorable. Apart from 19-year-old forward Callum Kelly, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Sancho, who is unavailable due to loan restrictions, Maresca has all his players at his disposal, including captain Reece James, who played the full 90 minutes in the last league match. Given Enzo’s recent struggles with negative news both on and off the pitch, Maresca might opt for a midfield pairing of Kessie and Lavia.
Overall, although Manchester United has maintained an unbeaten record in the last 11 home league matches against Chelsea, the last time the Blues won at Old Trafford was 11 years ago. However, times have changed, and interim manager Van Nistelrooy is unlikely to resolve all of Manchester United’s issues overnight. Under these circumstances, a draw might be an acceptable outcome for both teams.
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