As a player all those years ago, I was always fascinated by the Man Utd-Chelsea clash, which was one of the top matches in the Premier League. However, the form of both teams has fluctuated in recent years, but this matchup is still about the current situation of both sides.
United plan to take all six points from this showdown and the following home game in Bournemouth in order to tackle the tough challenges that will follow at the end of the year: Liverpool and Westham on the road, home matches against strong Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, as well as a UEFA Europa League home death match against Bayern Munich.
Manchester United is still in deep trouble against a string of tough opponents. While it may seem fortunate that the team is able to turn around and win when they are not performing well, United's streak of poor performances has been going on for too long. Take the latest 0:1 defeat against Newcastle as an example, such a loss can't cover up the team's poor form, which is unacceptable for a club of United's caliber.
Even though United have been able to win the occasional tough game, the overall performance has been worrying. I think United were able to win narrowly against weaker teams thanks to the high quality of individual players, but it wasn't the stars that really saved the team or achieved the draws - top players such as Rashford, Van Der Beek, Anthony, Onana, Martial, and Eriksson didn't live up to the expectations, which was definitely a blow for United.
In order to make a difference in Europe next year and challenge for the top four, these players will have to make a breakthrough in the next few weeks or else the season will be in a position from which there is no return.
Similar to Manchester United, Chelsea were embarrassed at St. James' Park, but that hasn't dampened my approval of the team's performance over the past two months. In six games against Arsenal, Binford, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Newcastle and White Hart Lane, Chelsea have scored 8 out of 18 points, which is a positive sign for the team. Had it not been for the slip-up against Binford, it would have been a much bigger haul.
Some of Chelsea's big names are starting to show positive form, with Stones and Golpenma particularly impressive, while the likes of Ansou Fathi, Nicholas Jackson and Mosiska have also scored and performed well in recent games.
Ganagaracha's suspension is definitely a big blow to Chelsea, but it also opens up new options for the team. I've been impressed with Golpenma's performance in the midfield, and I think the absence of Gunnar Garrincha could lead to Ansou Fathi and Mosiszka playing together in the center of the field. If United don't have a solid defensive midfield, I think Golpenma could cause them problems in that position. Wouldn't the Manchester City-born youngster want to score at Old Trafford? If you know the history of United and Chelsea, you'll know that the name Gore has scored key goals here ...... (yes, that's me!)
