Chelsea v Manchester United: preview, free football tips, odds & prediction

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Chelsea v Manchester United in the English Premier League.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 8pm Monday

Best bet

Chelsea to win & under 3.5 goals
1pt 8-5 Betway, Coral
Back this tip with Coral here

Team news

Chelsea
Christian Pulisic is close to returning but this game may come too soon for him. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is sidelined.

Manchester United
Odion Ighalo will travel after training away from his teammates after signing on loan from Shanghai Shenhua. Paul Pogba is nearing a return but Marcus Rashford is still out. Nemanja Matic returns from suspension.

Match preview

How the mighty have fallen.

Ten years ago, Apple were rolling out the first iPad, Jonathan Ross had just left the BBC and Chelsea and Manchester United were the dominant forces in English football.

A decade on from their titanic title tussle of 2009-10, the clubs are scrambling around in a see-saw battle for a top-four spot.

They have already lost 16 league matches between them this term and while Chelsea have been struggling in front of their own fans, United are on course for their lowest Premier League points tally.

The youthful exuberance of Frank Lampard's squad saw them hoover up 26 points from a possible 36 to start the campaign but a lack of experience in killing off games has caught up with them and they have only one league win in 2020.

The Blues still look the better side in a battle of two fading forces, though.

Manchester United's unhealthy reliance on Marcus Rashford for goals is clear to see as the Red Devils have not found the net in the Premier League since the Englishman picked up a back injury.

In fact, after the drab 0-0 draw with Wolves, United have failed to score with their last 50 shots in the league, prompting serious questions about their options in the final third.

January addition Odion Ighalo may be drafted in to solve the goalscoring conundrum but it could take some time for the signing from the Chinese Super League to properly make an impact - and having to train in isolation since his arrival can't have helped.

Bruno Fernandes looks a bright spark but he is largely surrounded by dead wood in midfield. Manchester United have managed to create only 36 big chances in the league this term, as many as Burnley and fewer than Brighton, Wolves, Everton and Sheffield United heading into the weekend matches.

• Paul Parker: 'I wouldn't have Chelsea down as home bankers'

The Manchester club have come out on top in both meetings between the clubs this term but their League Cup win came courtesy of a penalty and a stunning Rashford free kick, while their 4-0 win on the opening day was harsh on Chelsea, who had 18 shots and saw more of the ball at Old Trafford.

Both sides have a long way to go and are far from guaranteed top-four berths, but Chelsea have slightly more to count on in the final third which should give them the edge in a likely drab affair between two teams on the slide.

Key stat

Manchester United have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League matches.

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