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

Chelsea vs Manchester United: 3 Key Battles

Chelsea can all but seal the title with a win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. But the task will not be as easy as it would have been a few weeks ago. In early March, the Blues were cruising to the title and United were struggling to cement their place in the top four.

Six successive wins for the Red Devils means that they are just a point behind Arsenal in second. Although the title is beyond Louis Van Gaal’s side, they would certainly want to improve their record of one win in their last 10 trips to Stamford Bridge. Despite their impressive form, the visitors will start on the back foot thanks to injuries to key players ahead of the game on Saturday where they will be looking to end the Blues 16-game unbeaten run at home in the Premier League.

Here are the three key battles, which will decide the outcome of this game.

1. How do Chelsea cope with United’s left flank?

One of the reasons why United have been so dominant in the past month has been their ability to overload the left flank. Ashley Young’s transformation from an outcast to outstanding candidate for best English winger of the season, Daley Blind’s move to left-back and Marouane Fellaini’s imposing presence on the left-side of midfield has simply been too much for teams to handle. Even without the injured Blind, Luke Shaw is an able replacement and the combination is likely to create chaos for Chelsea.

The main reason for that is Branislav Ivanovic. From being one of the best full-backs in the Premier League to a defensive liability, the last few months have highlighted the flaws that made him so successful. His adventurous nature needs to be curbed and if it isn’t it requires someone covering for him. Neither Fabregas, who usually plays on the right side of midfield, nor Ramires, who usually takes part in the big games, has the physique to handle United’s threat on the left flank. Unless Mourinho brings in John Obi Mikel or Kurt Zouma, it is hard to see the Blues coping with the visitors threat on the left flank.

2. The Hazard conundrum

Hazard

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.

3. Louis Van Gaal vs Jose Mourinho (Tactical Battle)

Saturday will witness only the clash between the first and third placed side in the league, but also the clash  between two of the league’s finest tacticians. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that the Portuguese manager knows what it takes to win the big games. Even though, he doesn’t need to win this game, Mourinho needs to counteract the tactics that has led to United winning six games on the trot and playing a dominant brand of football, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the late-Ferguson years.

Whether it is picking Zouma in place of Fabregas, or opting for a defensive right-winger instead of Willian, you can be sure that Mourinho will have something in store. For Van Gaal though, injuries to Michael Carrick and Daley Blind, two of his holding mid-fielders and his two best center backs in Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo means that a tactical switch might be necessary. Whether it is going back to three at the back or moving Wayne Rooney into midfield, something has to be done if he wants to continue his impressive record against the top sides this season, which has seen them lose just once to the current top five. In what promises to be an interesting tactical battle, whichever manager is able to react and counteract the other’s moves will go a long way towards getting the result that their side needs.