Chelsea vs Manchester United: 3 Key Battles That Will Decide The Result

2. The Hazard conundrum

Over the last few weeks, the Blues haven’t been at their best. Yet, they have managed to rack up the wins and pick up the points they need to win the title. One of the main reasons for that is the form of Eden Hazard. With 12 goals and eight assists, it has been another fantastic season for the reigning PFA Young Player of the Year. Having created more chances(88) than any other Premier League player, United will need to be wary of the threat posed by the Belgian winger.

The man tasked with the responsibility of keeping him quiet will be Antonio Valencia. At first, the Ecuadorian winger didn’t fill many with any reassurance at right back but has recently shown that he has the discipline to cope with the very best. While he certainly has the pace to keep up with Hazard, whether he has the ability to hold him off when he cuts inside remains to be seen. Also, with Juan Mata playing in front of him, Valencia isn’t going to get much support defensively. If the Belgian can take advantage of that, then the Blues will have a definite goal scoring threat, even without the injured Loic Remy and Diego Costa.