Manchester United is poised for a new chapter with the appointment of Rúben Amorim, the current manager of Sporting Lisbon, as Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford. However, Amorim will not take over until the November international break, giving interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy three more matches in charge. The team has responded positively to the methods of their new Dutch manager, emulating van Nistelrooy’s attacking style to secure a convincing victory against Leicester in the EFL Cup (5-2). Nevertheless, their primary focus remains on reviving their Premier League campaign.
This is because Manchester United has amassed only 11 points, their second-lowest total at this stage of a Premier League season. If other results do not go their way, they could find themselves starting the match against Chelsea as low as 16th in the table – a surprisingly low position for the most successful club in the competition. Despite this, Van Nistelrooy can take solace in the fact that United have not lost any of their last 11 league encounters at Old Trafford (W5, D6) and have the opportunity to win three consecutive matches against Chelsea for the first time since January 1957.
Despite United’s current poor position, this presents a significant challenge for Chelsea, who are determined to showcase their capabilities under Enzo Maresca. The Blues were on the brink of breaking into the top four, but their hopes were dashed in the midweek when they were eliminated from the EFL Cup by Newcastle (2-0), the same team that Chelsea defeated in the league just last Sunday (2-1)!
Maresca made changes to his lineup for the midweek loss, so his key players should be well-rested as Chelsea aims for a second consecutive victory over United, something they haven’t achieved since March 2011. They will try to secure the win earlier this time, without relying on a dramatic stoppage-time comeback like their previous meeting. However, considering their alternating pattern of wins and losses in their last four away matches, predicting the outcome of this clash is challenging.
Key contest: Casemiro has emerged from a period of inactivity at Manchester United and has managed to score three times in his last two matches. In addition, he has found the back of the net twice in his previous three encounters with Chelsea. He will be engaged in a midfield battle with Cole Palmer, who aims to become only the third player in Chelsea’s history to score in three consecutive Premier League meetings against United.
Interesting fact: This fixture holds the record for the highest number of draws in Premier League history, with 26 out of 64 matches ending in a draw.
