Manchester United vs Chelsea Preview: Amorim Under Pressure at Old Trafford

Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United will be looking to atone for their heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of city rivals Manchester City as they host Chelsea at Old Trafford. The Blues are also aiming to rebuild momentum after their 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek.

Despite Amorim suggesting that he has the full backing of the United board in his pre-match press conference, he currently holds the worst win rate of any Manchester United manager since the Second World War, with 36.17%. In comparison, previous managers José Mourinho, Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjær recorded 58%, 55% and 54% respectively.

Given the criticism those managers faced, many fans are questioning why Amorim remains in the United hot seat.

The pressure on Amorim is not helped by the absence of Diogo Dalot, though the team will be boosted by the returns of Matheus Cunha and former Chelsea man Mason Mount.

With fans and pundits also questioning Amorim’s decision to allow Marcus Rashford to leave on loan to Barcelona especially after his two goals in the Champions League this week the Portuguese coach will be desperate for a strong performance from his forwards.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be equally keen to see his side return to form. A 2-2 draw against Brentford followed by a 3-1 defeat to Bayern has made it a tough week for the Blues. His press conference was overshadowed by headlines about players exiled from the squad.

In response to questions about the club’s treatment of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, Maresca gave a tongue-in-cheek answer: “My father was a fisherman, going to work from 2AM to 10AM every day for 50 years. This is hard in life, not being a footballer.”

The Blues have no new injury concerns but remain without Liam Delap, Roméo Lavia and Levi Colwill. The latter’s absence has been particularly damaging, with a lack of composure in defence contributing to the two goals conceded against Bayern. Maresca will be hoping to eradicate those errors and secure Chelsea’s first victory at Old Trafford since 2013.

Predicted Line-Ups

Manchester United: Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount.

Chelsea: Sánchez; James, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.