Stamford Bridge will come alive tonight as Chelsea host rivals Manchester United in a fierce contest as the Blues will look to end their winless streak to salvage a poor season.
Scott McTominay’s brace was the difference between both teams in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford last December, the result meant Chelsea are yet to record a Premier League victory against United since Alvaro Morata’s winning goal in 2017.
Both teams head into this clash on the back of draws. Cole Palmer’s brace was not enough to hand Mauricio Pochettino’s men victory over Burnley last weekend as they were held to a 2-2 draw, while a former Blue, Mason Mount was on the score sheet for the Red Devils in their 1-1 draw with Brentford. The match will be broadcast live on GOtv.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Erik Ten Hag, Man United’s manager, praised the Blues. “They have a fantastic team, fantastic players, and play good football, they can beat anyone and have shown this in the league,” he said.
Providing an update on players available for the clash, Ten Hag disclosed that the defence pair of Johnny Evans and Raphael Varane have been training for the match, while Harry Maguire is also available for selection. But the duo of Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have been ruled out for one month.
Also speaking ahead of the clash, Chelsea’s manager, Pochettino urged his players to bring more energy to the match. “We need to play better. We need to show more energy so we can compete like a team. Tomorrow is Manchester United. The motivation is there. We need to respect the opponent (whoever it is). We need to be motivated every time we play,” he said.
Also on Thursday, Liverpool will play host to Sheffield United as they seek to consolidate their status as league leaders as the season begins to wrap up.
