Top 5 this weekend: Chelsea vs United’s midfield battle, Matic’s return, Ajax v/s PSV and more
The latest feature (the first of many new ones on this website) is our way of getting football enthusiasts excited for the weekend. “Top 5 this Weekend” provides you with a list of things you can look forward to this weekend, thus assisting you in helping your football viewing. This feature will be published every Friday, looking ahead to all the football action on the weekend, with a slight tactical tinge. No more boring previews, no more pointless Friday articles, “Top 5 this Weekend” will satisfy your Friday football reading needs.
Chelsea welcome United
Sunday will see a clash between two of the Premier Leagues big names, as Manchester United make the journey to London to take on Mourinho’s Chelsea. United come into the game on the back of a solid win against Swansea last weekend, but prior to that, they had suffered 3 defeats in a row, and have generally been quite unconvincing. Chelsea on the other hand, have started to pick up their form and are looking dangerous. Since the defeat at Sunderland, the Blues have conceded just once, with some defensive control returning to the team.
The game will be interesting for two things. Some of United’s recent victories over Chelsea have come after the champions have used cut backs and wide areas very effectively. Last season, they picked up 3 points in this fixture with narrow 2-3 victory in a game marred by controversy. Their best player that day was Robin van Persie, who scored one and basically forced Luiz’s own goal. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, the Dutchman is expected to miss the game, and their talisman Wayne Rooney is also out. Their wing play this season hasn’t been particularly impressive either, the game against Tottenham (analysis here) representing a real low for Antonio Valencia. With the Chelsea defence looking strong too, United will have their work cut out if they want to pick up the three points and end Jose’s enviable record at the Bridge.
The other aspect is the midfield battle. That’s another area where United have been weak. Even with Fellaini, the player who was brought in to add steel to that area of the park, they struggled in the defeat to Everton (analysis here). The return of Darren Fletcher will obviously help, but it may not be enough. Chelsea themselves have had trouble in midfield this season. The promising van Ginkel has been sidelined, and this has left Mourinho with a paucity of options here. Essien hasn’t been up to the mark, and Mikel, Lampard and Ramires have had to hold the fort. This weekend, Lampard is injured, which could mean that the Blues go in with Mikel and Ramires, a combination that often turns too defensive because neither is really a good forward passer, or we could see the second debut of Nemanja Matic.