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Premier League leaders Chelsea will host a struggling Manchester United side at the Stamford Bridge tonight. The Red Devils are very much under the cosh as they gear up to take on yet another Premier League giant. Although on paper Manchester United are still 'giants', they have played like minnows in recent weeks.
A 4-1 humiliation at the hands of freshly promoted Watford proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Michael Carrick is their caretaker manager for now and Ralf Rangnick is reportedly close to taking over as interim head coach for the rest of the season.
That's a step in the right direction as far as Manchester United are concerned. But they'll first need to save themselves from the avalanche they've submerged themselves under after letting their standards drop significantly this term. Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel's men have been firing on all cylinders.
But given the firepower that Manchester United have in their ranks, they won't be pushovers. Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester United could beat Chelsea tonight.
#5 It's time for a Manchester United response
In Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final few weeks as manager of Manchester United, he did look like he was running out of ideas. While the Old Trafford faithful would have expected their side to proffer a response against one of their rivals, it never looked like it was going to come.
Solskjaer persisted with the utterly poor defensive duo of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw despite their horror shows in multiple matches. United have lost five of their last seven Premier League matches and only two teams have conceded more goals than them this season.
Maguire is suspended for the game against Chelsea while Shaw is out injured and this could very well be a blessing in disguise.
Eric Bailly will replace Maguire while Alex Telles will take Shaw's spot in the starting lineup. Both players will be hungry to impress. There are plenty of strong characters in this Manchester United side. Their backs are against the wall now and they are the underdogs going into this one.
That's part of the reason why we could be in for a strong Manchester United response tonight.
#4 Manchester United's good recent record against Chelsea in the Premier League
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League meetings with Chelsea. Their last loss against the Blues in the league came all the way back in November 2017 under Jose Mourinho.
The two sides played out 0-0 draws both times they met in the league last term. Suffice to say, Manchester United have proved to be a tough opposition to break down for Chelsea in recent times.
#3 Chelsea are missing some key players due to injury
Chelsea were dealt a huge blow as Ben Chilwell was forced off in the second half of their 4-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League in midweek. The Englishman has sustained an injury to his ACL and is likely to face a very lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Marcos Alonso has only just returned from injury and he will need to return to the starting lineup straightaway. N'Golo Kante also picked up an injury and will return only next week. Mateo Kovacic is another player who will be unavailable for the game against Manchester United.
Romelu Lukaku made the bench in the game against Juventus and will be raring to start against his former club. However, Timo Werner is expected to start ahead of the big Belgian tonight. Kai Havertz is a doubt for this one with a hamstring strain.
With some key players missing, Chelsea will have their work cut out against Manchester United.
#2 Chelsea wing-backs will be tested by Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho
With Jadon Sancho slowly hitting his stride, Manchester United are now more dynamic in attack. The youngster was arguably United's best player in their 2-0 win over Villarreal. He has whipped in some beauties from the right flank in his recent appearances and looks to be kicking into gear.
He scored a stunning goal to seal the deal for Manchester United against Villarreal in midweek. There is a feeling that this game might be too early for Marcos Alonso to feature but Tuchel will be forced to field him here. Alonso will need to be on high-alert with Sancho operating down his wing.
Reece James has been in spectacular form as well. But he will need to be a little cautious about getting caught in the attacking half given the fact that he has to contain Marcus Rashford.
Wing-backs are crucial to Chelsea's build-up and if Manchester United can win the ball on the flanks, they can take the game to the Blues here tonight.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo's form
There is an argument that accommodating Cristiano Ronaldo into the team takes away from Manchester United's ability to win the ball back higher up the pitch. While that may be true, the Portuguese international's unmatched knack for goalscoring has proven to be vital for Manchester United this term.
He has also been in good form. Ronaldo assisted Donny van de Beek's goal in the 4-1 defeat at Watford. He scored a lovely lobbed goal in the game against Villarreal to put Manchester United ahead. Prior to the international break, he turned in a match-winning performance against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ronaldo scored a wonderful volley in that game and then turned creator for Edinson Cavani's first goal of the season. The 36-year-old will be waiting for a chance to impose himself tonight as well and he could once again prove to be the difference maker.
