Chelsea VS Man United Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea VS Man United Date: Friday, May 16
BetXchange Chelsea VS Man United Odds:
History
This used to be one of the biggest games of the Premier League season. It never quite reached the highs or violent lows of Manchester United vs. Arsenal, but Chelsea and United fans will remember league seasons and cup finals with everything on the line between the Blues and the Red Devils.
The apex of this rivalry was arguably the 2008 Champions League final. The first all-English Champions League showpiece saw the two sides travel to Moscow for the right to be crowned champions of Europe. The Chelsea side featured Didier Drogba, John Terry, Michael Ballack, and Frank Lampard, while United countered with Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Carlos Tevez. United won 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
What would either set of fans give for a team with elite players like the above stars all over the pitch this season?
This is the final home game of the season for the Blues before they end the campaign with a trip to the Midlands to face Nottingham Forest. The race for the Champions League is stunningly tight, but Chelsea are in a position where they know that wins in their final two games will have them qualify for Europe’s premier tournament next season.
Manchester United, like Tottenham Hotspur, gave up on the 2024-25 Premier League season around the New Year. They are 16th in the league, above just Spurs and the three already related teams. This side has never finished lower than eighth in a Premier League season, a position that feels miles away after a wretched campaign.
The caveat is that United and Spurs both put all their eggs on winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League next season through that method. A more realistic league position would still be brutal by United standards, but they would be sitting in midtable had they prioritized the league over their European ambitions.
One team must win. The other stopped caring about winning months ago. This one seems like it should be a foregone conclusion.
Chelsea
Chelsea enters this make-or-break stretch of their season without their first-choice striker. Nicolas Jackson threw a forearm into the face of Sven Botman in the Blues damaging 2-0 defeat at Newcastle last time out. The red card, upgraded from a yellow on the pitch, means Jackson will miss three matches for violent conduct. It was a dumb move at a dumb time of the season, something that has been an issue for Chelsea with their overall move to a youthful team without any obvious leaders.
Manchester United
Any team prediction for United would be misguided. This match is held the Friday before the Europa League final Wednesday when the Red Devils face Spurs in Bilbao. That game is the reason their league season has been a train wreck, and the general theory is that if head coach Ruben Amorim could play an entire team of academy products, then he would.
Sure, some first teamers work better getting minutes and sticking with their routine, but you can bet they have been advised to stay out of any 50-50 challenges or anything that would put them in with a chance of picking up a knock.
Best Bets
United simply doesn’t care. Take Chelsea to win by multiple goals, with a score of 3-0 or 4-1 not being unlikely as two teams with very different goals take to the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
