Back United to end Stamford Bridge hoodoo
Liam Rosenior’s spell as Chelsea head coach went from bad to worse last week as they suffered their third 3-0 defeat in four matches at the hands of Manchester City. The Blues are now anxiously looking over their shoulders in the top-flight table, with only a three-point gap to Bournemouth in 11th.
Far from challenging for Champions League qualification, which is essential after pre-tax losses of £262.4m – there is now a real chance that European football may only be available next season in west London at Brentford or Fulham.
Rosenior has guided his side to just one victory in 90 minutes from their past seven matches, which came in the 7-0 thumping of soon-to-be-relegated Port Vale of League One. Their last Premier League success on home soil came against West Ham United at the end of January.
Things had been far rosier at Old Trafford before interim head coach Michael Carrick suffered a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United on Monday night. The scoreline could have been worse than 2-0 at half-time, but the Red Devils rallied to make a game of it, despite having Lisandro Martinez sent off.
That dismissal leaves the Reds woefully short in central defence for the trip to Chelsea. Martinez and Harry Maguire are both suspended, while Matthijs de Ligt remains out with a back injury.
To say Stamford Bridge has not been a happy hunting ground for Manchester United would be an understatement. They have won only one of their past 12 visits in the Premier League, but I think they can put that right this evening.
Chelsea are in freefall on and off the pitch. Protests are planned by home fans in conjunction with Strasbourg supporters – also owned by BlueCo – over the running of the club, while many have already given up on Rosenior.
Despite United’s setback last Monday, Carrick has made a significant impact since replacing Ruben Amorim. Only Arsenal (22) have scored more than their 21 goals during his stint, and the 23 points he has amassed are unmatched by any other team.
United’s tally of 5.8 shots on target per match is also the most in the division. I suspect they will be able to match that at the very least against Chelsea, who have shipped 15 goals in their previous five outings.
I think the visitors can cause an upset, and the Red Devils look good value to claim a huge three points at 11/5 with bet365.