Ruthless Chelsea to pay no heed to change at Man U
Leaders Chelsea will welcome a (probably) managerless Manchester United side to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon in the Barclays Premier League, and the hosts will be in mood to show any sympathy to their opponents' current plight. The Blues blew away Juventus 4-0 in the Champions League during midweek, and are almost certain to top their group, whilst the Red Devils under the very temporary auspices of former player Michael Carrick beat Villarreal 2-0 to all but ensure passage to the knockout stages. Read our preview here:
Luk who's back
Thomas Tuchel's men continue to steamroller almost everyone since October began, with only Burnley able to gain anything against them in all competitions in those two months. Their goal glut has largely been achieved without the likes of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku, but the powerhouse Belgian striker should be back in very timely fashion to prove once more to his former employers what they've missed out on since his departure a couple of years ago. He'll have the support of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mound to feed him the through balls he craves to latch onto, and the former is perhaps enjoying his best stint in a blue shirt to date. Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kanté are both doubtful for the weekend, so it remains to be seen who'll partner Jorginho at the base of the midfield. The selection headache on the right side of the back three is a welcome one, with three possibilities all in good form - Trevoh Chalobah chief amongst them.
Ralf, don't take it all on yourself
At the time of writing, it looks as though Ralf Rangnick has agreed to not only become the interim manager at Old Trafford until the end of the season, but also to remain on board afterwards in a consultancy role whilst the owners attempt to lure either Erik ten Hag from Ajax or Mauricio Pochettino from PSG in the summer. Whether terms can be finalised in time for Sunday is a different matter, but Carrick will likely be the one who selects the team and issues the instructions in any case. Whilst Cristiano Ronaldo's goals have kept them afloat in Europe's elite competition, far more will be required from elsewhere if they're to have a sniff of a chance against an imperious looking Chelsea. Paul Pogba has been ruled out for the remainder of 2021, joining Edinson Cavani and Raphaël Varane on the treatment table; Mason Greenwood is set to miss out after testing positive for Covid. Harry Maguire is suspended as well, leaving the heart of the defence worryingly thin for such opposition.
Stampede at Stamford Bridge
Most of United's other attacking options will be available, so it will be intriguing to see whether their front four can lay a glove on Chelsea, especially bearing in mind they have conceded just four times in the league compared to 21 for their rivals after 12 matches. Whilst Rangnick's appointment on the horizon ought to be promising, it is very improbable that it will impact this weekend. betway have odds of 3.00 for Tuchel's charges to score over 2.5 goals against a very accommodating and depleted backline.
