It’s a clash between red and blue as top clubs Chelsea and Manchester United go head to head, amid transfer rumours. Who will triumph?
By Brandon Era
It promises to be a hell of a slugfest. One of the classic match-ups in recent times, Chelsea taking on Manchester United could prove to be either a test of Mourinho’s trophy aspirations or a reassurance to critics and disillusioned fans of Manchester United.
Mourinho’s Stellar Record
The statistics tell an interesting story. Since Mourinho took over the reins at Stamford Bridge in his first stint at Chelsea, Chelsea have only ever lost to the Red Devils once.
In his three years in charge of the Blues, from 2004 to 2007, Mourinho has maintained quite a strong record at home against the Red Devils, securing three wins out of the four matches played at home in the league during those years.
It’s also interesting to note that in his first stint as Chelsea Manager before moving to Inter Milan, he had not lost against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, in the FA Cup, the then termed Carling Cup and the English Premier League itself.
An under fire and heavily criticised David Moyes will have his work cut out for him this Sunday. We take a look at how the players match up.
Head to Head
To be honest, none of the strikers in both teams are coming remotely close to the form that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is currently in.
The Uruguayan international has a staggering 22 goals to his name in just 16 appearances, despite serving a long ban due to a moment of madness – biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic on the arm.
The current top scorer for troubled Manchester United is the talismanic Wayne Rooney, with nine goals to his name – the same amount that Chelsea’s top scorer, Eden Hazard, has.
One thing Chelsea has to address is the serious lack of firepower up front. If your top scorer is not a centre forward of sorts, you know your team is lacking the bite and grit up front. (Of course, there are exceptions such as Cristiano Ronaldo.)
Nonetheless, the current home and away records of the two teams are rather interesting as well. The Blues remain unbeaten at home, having won nine out of ten home games this season, and having drawn only one.
Manchester United, surprisingly, have a far superior away record as compared to the woes the team has been facing at the hallowed ground of Old Trafford. Moyes’ men have won six out of their ten away games, while losing two and drawing two.
In comparison, United has only won five out of 11 home games, having drawn two and losing a worrying four times midway through the season.
Rumour Mongering
If that’s not enough to chew on, how about the fact that Chelsea are also interested in buying Wayne Rooney in this January transfer window?
Of course, it’s all speculation and nothing is quite concrete. However, if that move materialises, where would that leave the Red Devils?
If Rooney were to be out of the picture, with a not-so-surprisingly injured van Persie and with Hernandez also rumoured to be opting out to find more first-team football, the fans might truly have something to fear.
Is Manchester United going the way of Leeds and Nottingham a possibility? For football’s sake, I pray we won’t see another titan fall.
Photos: mooinblack/Shutterstock.com
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