Man United head to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea clash

Outubro 30, 2026 lojamais44@gmail.com

By Filip Mishov

The lunchtime kick off is a big game for both teams

Chelsea were enjoying a fine start to the season until last weekend, when Xabi Alonso‘s squad suffered a defeat in a London derby vs. Spurs, then were knocked out of the Carabao cup via a penalty shoot-out at Liverpool in midweek. With Chelsea without a domestic trophy since 2018, the Spaniard labelling the Carabao Cuo as “the least important competition for us” did not go down well with the fanbase.

The players, on the other hand, will benefit from a lighter schedule and will look to improve on their solid start – only Brighton & Hove Albion (23) and Manchester City (20) have scored more goals than the Blues, who currently sit fifth in the league.

To the surprise of many, Michael Carrick is set to lead Manchester United at Stamford Bridge after Jason Wilcox & co. decided to give the head coach another chance to turn the club’s fortunes around following their worst start to a season in 40 years. With the under-fire squad sitting just a point off the relegation zone ahead of the London trip, the pressure is on the players to deliver on Saturday, as the passionate match-going supporters made their feelings crystal clear at Old Trafford last weekend. Interestingly enough, 13 of the 14 players which featured in United’s victory at Stamford Bridge back in April are still part of the team.

Key players

Cole Palmer is enjoying life under Xabi Alonso and the 24-year-old is one of the front three (alongside Morgan Rogers and João Pedro) that has started the season well. The Manchester-born playmaker is the joint-top assist provider (3) and leading chance creator (17) in the squad, while only Morgan Gibbs-White (7) and Pascal Groß (7) boast more big chances created than the England international across the league. With the boyhood United fan missing the midweek action, the so-called ‘Cold Palmer’ will be rested and eager to pile on the misery on the Red Devils.

Despite his questionable antics on and off the pitch lately, Bruno Fernandes remains the captain and arguably, the best player in United’s squad on paper. Subsequently, the spotlight will be on the out-of-form Portugal international and the 32-year-old will get an opportunity to contribute and support the coaching staff’s bid to turn things around after clearing-the-air with the coach. Last season’s Premier League POTY is still our highest-rated player among his teammates, averaging a FotMob rating of 7.53. At the same time, all four of his goal contributions (3 goals, 1 assist) came in a single 90-minute appearance against Ipswich, which speaks volumes about the drop off in his numbers.

Team news

João Pedro joined Emiliano Martínez, Reece James and Jamie Gittens on the sidelines, but Cole Palmer is back after serving a one-match suspension and Emanuel Emegha finally made his return from injury in midweek.

Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Šeško are still unavailable for United, but Kobbie Mainoo is back in first-team training and ready to provide a huge boost in midfield.

Prediction

It would take a monumental shift in both form and confidence for the Red Devils to leave Stamford Bridge with anything more than a point, and judging by their recent history and performances amid similar slumps, I expect Chelsea to celebrate a win despute their vulnerabilities at the back.