[Niall]

VS

Date - Sunday, February 07 2016.
Kickoff Time - 1600 Hrs GMT.
Venue - Stamford Bridge, London.

League standings and form guide

5. Manchester United : WDWLW

13. Chelsea : WDDWD



Previous Meetings

Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United

Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Manchester United

Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea



All-Time Record

Manchester United wins - 59
Chelsea wins - 43
Draws - 45


Pre-Match Pressers

Louis Van Gaal



Guus Hiddink




Team News

Manchester United

Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcos Rojo and Antonio Valencia ruled out. Phil Jones doubtful.


Chelsea

Radamel Falcao and Loïc Remy ruled out.



Know the opposition

Chelsea Football Club nicknamed The Blues, and The Pensioners - are a professional football club based in Fulham, London. Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub, (now The Butcher's Hook) after Gus Mears had previously acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium with the aim of turning it into a football ground. Since there was already a team named Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent borough, the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea, was settled on. Chelsea's first major title success came in the form of the League Cup with the appointment of former Arsenal player, Ted Drake - who also led Chelsea to the their first ever League title, enabling them to compete in the European Cup, but after objections from The Football League and the FA, Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started - allowing Matt Busby's Manchester United to start their illustrious adventure with the competition. After decades of being non-competitors, Chelsea returned to the domestic fore in 2003 under new owner Roman Abramovich, who fueed an unprecedented spending spree - starting in the mid 2000s. Since the takeover, Chelsea have won 1 Champions League title, 4 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cup titles, 1 Europa League title, and 3 League Cup titles among others. Chelsea's most prominent rivalries include local clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, title rivals Manchester United; and Liverpool and Leeds United. Chelsea play their home games at Stamford Bridge, which had been their home for 100+ years.


Referee

Michael Oliver.​

 

[Giant Midget]

Same line-up as today but with Schneiderlin instead of Fellaini.

DDG
Darmian Smalling Blind CBJ
Carrick Schneiderlin
Lingard Mata Martial
Rooney

This game will be the litmus test of whether we're actually improving under LVG or if Stoke and Derby were just terrible.

 

[Raw]

Actually can't wait for this now, been a while since I said that about a United game.

I really want to see whether or not we really have improved or if it was just another false dawn.

Chelsea may be shite, but they seem to be slightly reinvigorated under Hiddink and it's at Stamford Bridge. This will by no means be an easy game.

 

[Samid]

Costa's first ever game vs us.

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

We're back. We'll smash them, 4-0.

 

[Sereques]

Whatever LVG have to do, we have to win this. Champions league is 5 points away.

 

[Fully Fledged]

Giggs had a family illness

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Chelsea to win 2-0

Hope I'm wrong

 

[kidbob]

James Weir is a strange looking guy.

 

[bosnian_red]

A shame we have this after the stoke game, would've been nice to have an easier game or home game to add on to the momentum. Away to Chelsea is tough always, regardless of their form (and it has improved now).
I'd do:

De gea
Darmian Smalling Blind CBJ
Schneiderlin Carrick
Lingard Mata Martial
Rooney
​

A win would be huge for us and would give us confidence to put a run together. Will be very tough though.

 

[Trizy]

Same squad with Fellaini not even near the bench.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

A shame we have this after the stoke game, would've been nice to have an easier game or home game to add on to the momentum. Away to Chelsea is tough always, regardless of their form (and it has improved now).
I'd do:

De gea
Darmian Smalling Blind CBJ
Schneiderlin Carrick
Lingard Mata Martial
Rooney
​

A win would be huge for us and would give us confidence to put a run together. Will be very tough though.

Why drop Fellaini or was he injured?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Same squad with Fellaini not even near the bench.

He did fine tonight according to most.

 

[bosnian_red]

Why drop Fellaini or was he injured?

Came off with a knock... But Schneiderlin is better for this game anyways I think

 

[sunama]

We have scored 6 goals in our last 2 games.
I'm not sure if I can use my faithful: 1-0, 0-0, 1-1 scoreline prediction.
I need to think about this one, prediction- wise.

Came off with a knock... But Schneiderlin is better for this game anyways I think

I still don't get the fuss about Morgan.
I've never seen him in a game and thought he was brilliant or MOTM. He is basically invisible and that's the problem I have with him.

 

[RDCR07]

I would rather start Perreira over Fellaini.

 

[Irrational.]

Can we make it 3 away wins on the bounce? I hope so.

I'd also switch Fellaini for Schneid but there's no way LVG would drop Fellaini - he seems to be a personal favourite for the presence he offers in both boxes. I fear one of Mata/ Lingard will be dropped.

DDG

Darmian, Smalling, Blind, CBJ

Carrick, Schneiderlin, Fellaini

Mata, Rooney, Martial

 

[Bwuk]

Same team except Morgan in for Fellaini.

 

[shabadu84]

Costa's first ever game vs us.

That's very surprising, maybe he can get himself sent off tomorrow

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Sane again, please.

De Gea
Darmian Smalling Blind Borthwick Jackson
Carrick
Lingard Mata Fellaini Martial
Rooney​

 

[charlenefan]

Best we can hope for is a draw suspect we'll lose though

Either way we'll fall further off the top 4 with City, Arsenal and Spurs all winning

 

[Kraftwerker]

This would be such a good game to win, just in the context of the next few weeks and those above us.

City play Leicester, so there's points dropped, albeit amongst sides who look un-catchable from our POV.

But the weekend after could get very interesting...

We're away at Sunderland, tough but doable 3 pointer. Meanwhile Arsenal play Leicester, and Man City play Spurs. Lots of guaranteed points to be dropped.

Obviously we'll lose both our games and be further away than ever, but table could look very interesting in a couple of weeks if we can just do our own job.

Oh, and then the week after we play Arsenal at home...

 

[VivaObertan]

Exactly the same line-up as today please. I know Schneiderlin over Fellaini will be a popular demand here but Chelsea are a tall, physical side and Marouanne really adds a dimension to the defensive side of our game.

I wonder if Hiddink will use Azpilicueta or Zouma on the right to cope with Martial's pace?

 

[Gol123]

Wait till after the Watford game before I make any predictions.

 

[RedStarUnited]

This would be such a good game to win, just in the context of the next few weeks and those above us.

City play Leicester, so there's points dropped, albeit amongst sides who look un-catchable from our POV.

But the weekend after could get very interesting...

We're away at Sunderland, tough but doable 3 pointer. Meanwhile Arsenal play Leicester, and Man City play Spurs. Lots of guaranteed points to be dropped.

Obviously we'll lose both our games and be further away than ever, but table could look very interesting in a couple of weeks if we can just do our own job.

Oh, and then the week after we play Arsenal at home...

If things go our way, we could be in a position where beating Arsenal could take us above them.

Wouldnt that be a turn around and a half....

 

[Adisa]

Can't see a win to be honest. Will be a close game though.

 

[Cassidy]

Tough game, some optimism after today, if we win this I would start to believe again. Can't see it atm though.
Draw would be a good result.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

deGea
Darmian Smalling Blind BoJack
Schneiderlin Carrick
Lingard Mata Martial
Rooney

I hope Hiddink plays Ivanovic at RB.​

 

[Boycott]

Standard theme whenever we go there is we play well but Chelsea nick the win

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

If our attack play as well as it did today, with Rooney and Martial linking marvelously, then we have a very good chance. Chelsea's defence has looked iffy all season, even with Hiddink in.

Martial vs Ivanovic, Hazard vs Darmian and Smalling vs Costa will be key.

 

[shabadu84]

I still don't get the fuss about Morgan.
I've never seen him in a game and thought he was brilliant or MOTM. He is basically invisible and that's the problem I have with him.

That was often said about Carrick years ago and that turned out OK. Think he's been playing within himself a bit, but that's true of most of the team this year. Hopefully everyone kicks on

 

[Moriarty]

It's about time we won down there but I think it'll be a draw.

 

[Devil may care]

This will be difficult, Chelsea have steadied the ship a bit and we have rarely strung good performances together, if we play like we did tonight we'll give ourselves a real chance at least.

The team will be the same bar Schneiderlin in for Fellaini.

 

[K2K]

1 league win in about 14 years at the Bridge.

Bogey ground for sure.

 

[khoazany]

James Weir is a strange looking guy.

Why such a random comment?

 

[Gol123]

Standard theme whenever we go there is we play well but Chelsea nick the win

I hate games against United for this reason. Doesn't matter how crap you are or how bad a form you are in compared to us, you always raise your game against us and play out of your skin.

 

[RedDevil@84]

At the Bridge. Even the people in worst of form will up their game for sure. Always happens.
Who is the referee btw?

 

[Ballache]

Chelsea beating us away is almost as certain as them beating Arsenal, I hate this fixture.

 

[devil in me]

Referee Stuart Burt? Ive never heard of him! Even the FA aren't taking this fixture seriously this season!!
Hoping for a bit more of an entertaining game than the one at OT. We are crap at the Bridge. Cant see a victory. Chelsea starting to look decent again, too.

 

[Callum93]

Last time we played Chelsea on the week of my birthday (well, it was on my birthday), we drawn 3-3 at The Bridge. I remember DDG's wonder save against Mata's free kick...

Anyway, Mother Nature usually gives me a break from my shit luck so I reckon we'll at least get a convincing performance.