Manchester United vs Chelsea

Preview: Manchester United vs Chelsea

Manchester United

Manchester United always faces a problem after a loss, but the manner in which they were defeated by Newcastle at St. James' Park was especially hurtful. In that match, the Red Devils allowed a staggering 2.98 xG and only managed one shot on goal, which put more strain on manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman has blamed his team's difficulties on a busy schedule, but a string of erratic performances has supporters worried about the worst as the holiday season approaches.

Although injuries have hindered their defensive efforts, United's attacking line has perhaps caused them more problems this season. Coming into this round, they have only scored 16 Premier League (PL) goals, which is fewer than Crystal Palace and the bottom four combined. Hearts should be pounding at Old Trafford when top-half opposition pays them a visit. Despite having won five of their last 13 meetings with Chelsea (W5, D7), they have yet to secure a point in the Premier League against a team that is presently ranked in the top 10.

Chelsea

The Blues, victorious in a thrilling five-goal match against Brighton on Sunday (W 3-2), head north with confidence. Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, was both proud and disappointed of his team's performance as they overcame a brutal 4-1 loss to Newcastle. However, he will be lacking a vital midfield player due to Conor Gallagher's dismissal against the Seagulls.

That's not exactly the best time for them to be trying to win at Old Trafford for the first time since May 2013 (D6, L4). When Chelsea last triumphed at this venue, Sir Alex Ferguson was still the United manager. However, this group of players has been increasingly comfortable on the road recently—prior to their crushing of Newcastle, they had won three straight Premier League road games.

Hot statistic:

Chelsea has never trailed in a Premier League game at any venue at halftime, but this season, Man Utd has not led a Premier League home game at the half.