Chelsea vs Manchester United: All you need to know
By Victor Akuma
Another blockbuster match is here as Chelsea and Manchester United battle it out at Stamford Bridge, today.
Historic, class, rivalry: the two teams are undisputably among Europe’s elite teams and it’s not surprising this fixture has been dominating headlines for long.
It might be true that the attention given to the clash of these teams has reduced compared to the way it used to be some four, five years ago, because of the much competition put up by some other teams in the English Premier League (EPL).
Liverpool — that is currently topping the league table with over 20 points– Manchester City, Leicester, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur among others have witnessed remarkable resurgence in the last decade and are currently taking the shine in the league, appearing to be leaving the old boys behind.
However, due to the storied histories of the two clubs and their towering fanbase, the popularity of their clashes remains a heated issue of discussion among pundits and football lovers across the globe.
Based on form, the two teams are not currently spectacular, and have spent a huge chunk of the season struggling for form. Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjær are still a work in progress in the coaching landscape and have come under intense pressure to grapple with the mind-blowing expectations and demands of piloting the affairs of their respective clubs where results are consider the yardstick for success.
Chelsea have lost one of its last 17 Premier League home games against Manchester United this season and are unbeaten in their last six, Manchester United are looking forward to secure their first EPL double win over Chelsea since 1987/88 and if they succeed, it will be their third win against Chelsea in all competitions this season since they won Chelsea 2-1 at the Carabao Cup at Stanford Bridge, a record which was last made in 1985. The last team that won Chelsea twice in the same season were Liverpool in 2011/12.
Manchester United on the other hand have lost each of their last three Premier League games in London, each time by a 0-2 scoreline (two vs Arsenal, one vs West Ham United).
Manchester United, for all their struggles in the 2019/2020 campaign, have enjoyed an impressive record against big teams in the league and it piques curiosity if that will happen against Lampard’s young side.
Chelsea in the last seven games have recorded only two wins, so the question is, will Chelsea open its winning strides again United come Monday or will they help them renew the record of 1985 and 1988, as well as give Ole his fourth win against the London side? Only time will tell.
The match is slated for Monday 17th February by 9:00 pm Nigerian time.
