Manchester United vs Chelsea: Predicted United XI
Manchester United face bitter rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday, with their last encounter ending in a 0-0 draw. Louis Van Gaal will face the toughest test so far of his time at Manchester United and will hope he can cause a first league loss on Jose Mourinho’s league leaders, Chelsea. Who should line up this time around?
No Skipper: Wayne Rooney is suspended for united's clash against Chelsea, can they win the game without him?
Manchester United's Predicted Line Up/ Formation 4-4-2 Diamond:
GK - David De Gea:
When one thinks back to Monday nights’ game it is hard to think of De Gea being called into action at all. The two goals conceded were both exceptional finishes that any ‘keeper would struggle to stop and with West Brom not having a single corner it made for an unusually quiet night for De Gea.
RB-Rafael da Silva:
The Brazilian again provided a significant attacking force down the right hand side, combining well with Januzaj. However, he was caught unawares as he played Berahino onside as the West Brom striker ran through on goal unhindered. Rafael will have to prevent such lapses of concentration against opponents like Chelsea or he will surely be punished.
CB- Phil Jones
The England defenders first start back from an injury suffered on international duty saw him paired for the first time with Marcos Rojo. Although there were moments of panic the two seemed solid, if unspectacular. Jones will hope to secure his place as Van Gaal’s right-sided centre back for the foreseeable future with a strong performance in gargantuan games like these.
CB- Marcos Rojo/Jonny Evans
The Argentine received some unfair criticism for his performance at West Brom, his passing of the ball was good as was his general positioning. He couldn’t have done much more to cover for Luke Shaw’s mistake and was fairly solid for the rest of the night, even while holding the high defensive line which Van Gaal demands. However he did look shaky at times vs West Brom so the more experienced player of Jonny Evans may be present in the back line.
LB- Luke Shaw:
The England U21 defenders mistake led to Sessegnon opening the scoring on Monday and he gave away the ball repeatedly. However, United fans would do well to remember Shaw’s tender years and relative inexperience at this level of football-despite being a regular for Southampton for almost two seasons. Manchester United have much to come from this young man. Mourinho will be keeping a close eye on what he potentially missed out on, or also what he luckily didn't bring to the club.
CDM- Daley Blind:
The Dutch midfielder struggled defensively against West Brom as they counter attacked with pace, yet he still contributed with an important performance, capping it off with a superb equaliser, curling a left footed shot past Boaz Myhill into the West Brom net. Blind will be crucial versus Chelsea as he looks to break up attacks and help out the defence.
CM: Marouane Fellaini
Van Gaal has recently spoken of there being a place for the Belgian at the club, yet before his spectacular goal against West Brom many United fans would scoff at the thought of Fellaini starting a fixture of such magnitude. However, it was evident on Monday how Fellaini’s physicality makes him a formidable opponent. Fellaini could be selected to hinder and harass Chelsea’s midfield maestro, the dangerous Fabregas and also to provide some physical competition to the likes of Nemanja Matic. The stage is set for Fellaini to finally prove himself at the club with the type of dominant physical performance he is renowned for.
CAM:Juan Mata
A somewhat anonymous performance versus West Brom wasn’t helped by Van Persie’s own lacklustre display. Mata struggled to dictate the play from his central berth although West Brom deliberately crowded him whenever he had the ball. Mata has to prove himself in the last match of Rooney’s suspension and who better to do so against than his old club and the manager who froze him out.
CM: Angel Di Maria:
It’s will be no surprise to see di Maria starting against Chelsea as he’s quickly secured a crucial role at Man Utd, getting 3 goals and 4 assists in the 6 games since joining Man Utd. However, there could be a possibility that he sits the game out through an injury he picked up against West Brom.
ST: Robin Van Persie (C)
A sensational shot that cannoned off the post was the only highlight of a performance against West Brom that frankly could have been better. As the most experienced player and stand in captain Van Persie will start over Falcao as the sole striker in this more defensive formation. He must play well or he may find himself benched for the matches to come.
ST: Radamel Falcao
After starting on the bench vs West Brom due to jetlag, Falcao could make a return to the starting lineup against Chelsea, who he proved to be lethal against a couple years ago with a first half hat-trick for Atletico Madrid.
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