Manchester United vs Chelsea - Preview
All eyes will be on Frank Lampard this Sunday as Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge for their highly anticipated encounter with Chelsea. Manchester United currently sit at the top of Barclays Premier League table with 34 points and a game in hand.
The Red Devils will be high on confidence coming off their 1-0 victory against old rivals Arsenal on Monday night.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are in the middle of their worst run in more than 10 years, though manager Carlo Ancelloti insists that their slump is behind them. If Chelsea want to have a shot at retaining the trophy this season, it is imperative that they return
to winning ways. The Blues played well against Tottenham in their last match, showing signs of regaining their form. Were it not for Didier Drogba’s injury time penalty miss, Chelsea might have won the match. As it stands though, Chelsea have failed to win
a game in their previous 5 attempts.
Chelsea fans will be delighted to hear that Frank Lampard has been declared fit for the match. Lampard had been sidelined due to injury back in August. His inclusion in the side will give the Blues some much needed creativity going forward as well as a boost
in confidence for the team. Captain John Terry’s return to the side has had a positive effect in defence but the Blues are still prone to lapses at the back. However, their performance in the last game is a marked improvement over that of recent weeks.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson played a 4-5-1 formation last week against Arsenal to restrict the Gunners from playing their natural game. For this match, he will most probably deploy a 4-4-2 formation, bringing the in-form Dimitar Berbatov back
into the side. Sir Alex will be hoping that the strike partnership of Wayne Rooney and the Bulgarian can find a way past the Chelsea defence. The ever-dependable Park Ji-Sung is almost sure to start, as is Portugese winger Nani.
Chelsea’s performance against Tottenham on Sunday looks to be a turning point for the Blues. Manager Carlo Ancelloti is adamant that the team’s barren patch is behind them and that Chelsea can beat Manchester United on Sunday. United go into the match unbeaten
in the league this season, despite performing nowhere near their best. Stamford Bridge is no longer the fortress it once was, but it is still a difficult venue to get a result from. All signs point to a blockbuster game on Sunday.
The upcoming match is arguably the biggest game of the season so far. The result of this encounter will have a huge impact on the league table. A win here for United will place them 5 points clear of Arsenal and Manchester City and 6 points clear of Chelsea.
If Sir Alex can pull it off, Manchester United will become favourites to clinch the title. Chelsea, however, did the double over United last season and will be looking to add to their recent successes against the Red Devils. Expect an action packed encounter
when these two sides take the pitch on Sunday.
Tags: