The Premier League is back after the international break and what a game to kick things off as Chelsea take on Manchester United.
Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea are currently joint-top of the Premier League and are unbeaten in their eight games, while United – managed by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho – are sat in eighth.
Read on for Chelsea v Manchester United live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV channel info.
When is Chelsea vs Manchester United?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Saturday, 20 October
Kick-off: 12:30 PM BST
Match preview
For the seventh time as Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho gets ready to face off against his former side Chelsea.
Since taking over the Red Devils in 2016, the Portuguse has lost four of the six games against the Blues, two in the Premier League and two in the FA Cup – all coming away from Old Trafford.
But Mourinho will be hoping for something different on Saturday after a poor start to his third season at Old Trafford. United have lost four games already across all competitions, including three in the Premier League, which leaves the 20-time champions currently sitting eighth.
The Red Devils are also out of the Carabao Cup, losing to Championship side Derby County on penalties at Old Trafford.
In contrast, life under Sarri could hardly have started better for Chelsea with their sole defeat coming in the season’s curtain-raiser as they lost the Community Shield final to Manchester City. Otherwise it has been close to perfect for the Blues, winning eight and drawing just twice across all competitions.
Sarri also has star man Eden Hazard in top form, with the Belgian currently leading the Premier League’s goalscoring charts and ready to face the man he has recently admitted he would like to work under once more.
Where can I watch live?
Chelsea’s game against Manchester United can be viewed by UK residents on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, channels 401 and 402 respectively on Sky and channels 501 and 502 respectively for Virgin Media users.
The game is also available to watch on fuboTV.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about fuboTV
Is Mourinho’s job in danger if they lose?
Prior to the win over Newcastle United before the international break, rumours circled about Jose Mourinho’s future as Manchester United manager. According to the reports, the Portuguese would be sacked regardless of the result and with the Red Devils losing 2-0 at half-time, fans were starting to believe them. However, United did manage to pull off a comeback win and the club look a bit more stable. Though a loss will not help Mourinho’s cause, with no replacement lined up it would likely not be fatal.
Can Chelsea challenge for the Premier League?
Going into the Premier League season, many had backed Chelsea to endure a difficult challenge for a place in the top four but Sarri’s men are currently exceeding expectations. It will be a tall ask for the Blues to keep up with Manchester City and Liverpool – with whom they are currently level on points – with Sarri favouring the same players every week. An injury to either Jorginho or Eden Hazard could prove costly.
Will Paul Pogba start for United?
Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United seems to be in doubt every week, with reports of a falling out with Mourinho over the team’s tactics and captaincy. With Mourinho likely to use a more defensive formation to try and frustrate Chelsea, Pogba’s place in the team may come into question. But the Frenchman is vital to United’s attacking play and needs to start on Saturday.
Head-to-head
In the Premier League era, Chelsea have proven themselves to be a tough team for Manchester United to beat, winning against the Red Devils more times than they have lost (18 to 15).
However, the Red Devils do still have the advantage overall, with 77 wins to Chelsea’s 54 and 49 draws – though the Blues were victorious when these sides last met in the 2018 FA Cup final.
Chelsea wins: 54 Draws: 49 Manchester United wins: 77
Team news
Both Chelsea and Manchester United will be hoping for good news ahead of Saturday’s clash with both falling victim to international break injuries.
Chelsea’s biggest worry will be centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who withdrew from the Germany squad at the start of the international break due to a groin injury. Ethan Ampadu was also injured, though the youngster was unlikely to feature against United in any case.
For United, both Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic withdrew from their respective national teams due to injury but will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s game. The Red Devils will also be hoping for returns from Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Jorginho; Kante, Kovacic; Willian, Giroud, Hazard.
Predicted Manchester United XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Shaw; Pogba, Matic, Fellaini; Rashford, Lukaku, Sanchez.
Predictions & Betting Tips
Register with William Hill HERE & bet £10, get £30 in free bets. Terms & Conditions apply. 18+ only. BeGambleAware.
1. Chelsea to win @ 8/11
On paper and past performances this season, Chelsea should not go into the game against Manchester United worried.
Mourinho’s side have looked out of sorts at times, against teams of all levels, and were fortunate to come out of their game against Newcastle United with a win having gone 2-0 down early on.
Meanwhile, Chelsea seem to be using each game to show their skills, overcoming a tough test against Liverpool to show they will be pushing for a top four spot this season.
Key Stat: Manchester United have not won at Stamford Bridge since October 2012.
Tip: Chelsea to win @ 8/11 with William Hill – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (17/10/2018, 16:45)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
2. Eden Hazard to score first @ 4/1
Chelsea have been very good as a team at times this season, but one man to have really caught the eye is Belgian forward Eden Hazard.
The Premier League’s top scorer, with seven goals, Hazard is enjoying his best start to a season since joining Chelsea and has already scored more in this campaign than he did in the whole of 2015/16, when Mourinho was sacked by the Blues.
And having scored in his past two Premier League appearances, Hazard can be expected to add to his tally against a struggling United defence.
Key Stat: Eden Hazard has scored five goals against Manchester United.
Tip: Eden Hazard to score first @ 4/1 with William Hill – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (17/10/2018, 16:45)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
3. Both teams to score YES @ 17/20
Chelsea may be good going forward but the Blues have still shown signs of weakness in defence, though it has not been exploited too much given their opponents so far.
Arsenal managed to score two against Chelsea early in the season, while Southampton had a host of chances with only poor finishing preventing them from breaching Arrizabalaga’s goal.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have one of the worst defences in the Premier League this season with 14 goals conceded.
Key Stat: Only Fulham (21), Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City (both 17) have conceded more goals in the Premier League this season than Manchester United.
Tip: Both teams to score YES @ 17/20 with William Hill – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (17/10/2018, 16:45)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
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