Chelsea vs Man Utd betting preview

This Sunday sees a number of big games, one of them being a top of the table clash between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have the luxury of knowing they will stay top no matter what the result this weekend, however a loss will see the gap between the two teams drop to just 1 point. That being said, Chelsea will be desperate for a win to extend their unbeaten start to the season and continue their dominance over the rest of the Premier League.

Chelsea’s Recent Results:

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Chelsea (Oscar)
Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea (Cahill, Mata (x2), Sturridge)
Chelsea 4-1 Norwich (Torres, Lampard, Hazard, Ivanovic)
FC Nordsjaelland 0-4 Chelsea (Mata (x2), Luiz, Ramires)

Despite being unbeaten in the league, Chelsea head into this match off the back of their first meaningful defeat of the season (Excluding Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup losses) – a 2-1 loss away to Shakhtar in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Looking to put Tuesday night behind them, Chelsea aim to secure a fifth straight league win and continue their perfect record at Stamford Bridge this season.

The hosts have conceded just 3 goals at home in the league this season whilst having scored almost four times that amount, proving that, unlike criticisms over the past few years, they haven’t just been doing the minimum needed to pick up three points. It is hardly surprising that Chelsea have shared the goals between strikers, midfielders and even defenders, with Mata and Torres topping the club’s scoring charts with 6, followed by Cahill and Ivanovic with 4 and 3 goals respectively.

Chelsea will be without the midfield presence of Frank Lampard on Sunday, who has been ruled out for 2 weeks with a calf injury suffered against Shakhtar in the week. They will also be without captain John Terry who is serving a four match ban.

William Hill have priced a Chelsea win at 6/4, whilst Bet Victor have a 1-0 Chelsea win at 19/2, a good price for a game that is likely to be filled with middle of the field possession and a solid back line for both sides.

Manchester United’s Recent Results:

Manchester United 3-2 Braga (Hernandez (x2), Evans)
Manchester United 4-2 Stoke (Rooney (x2), van Persie, Welbeck)
Newcastle 0-3 Manchester United (Evans, Evra, Cleverley)
CFR Cluj-Napoca 1-2 Manchester United (van Persie (x2))

So far this season United have made hard work of winning, having been trailing in 8 of their 12 games and coming back to win six of them. This was particularly highlighted in midweek as they slipped to a 2-0 deficit in the first half against Braga, only to come back to win 3-2 courtesy of a Hernandez brace. If this game follows suit then odds of 28/1 with Stan James for Chelsea to lead at half time and United to win the game could prove rewarding.

United have only failed to score against Chelsea once since the 2006/7 season – a 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge back in 2009 – a trend that could continue on Sunday having scored in every game this season bar the opener against Everton in August. This has been largely down to the arrival of Robin van Persie at the club, who is priced at 10/1 to score two goals or more for the third time this season by Paddy Power.

Kagawa, United’s summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, has been ruled out of this weekend’s match with a knee injury and is likely to face four weeks on the sidelines. The away side will also be without Phil Jones and Anders Lindegaard.

Betting Summary

Both sides will be itching to take an early advantage in the title race so this is likely to be a tight affair separated by just one goal. Last time the sides met they drew 3-3 and the way both sides have been playing this season it could be another goal-fest. Over 3.5 goals is best price 7/4 with Boylesports.

This is a difficult game to predict but it would be hard to bet against the unbeaten league leaders at home continuing their run, hence a prediction of a Chelsea 2-1 win at 9/1 with VC Bet.

Read more betting previews for upcoming matches in our betting tips section. If you fancy a free bet for this match, or any upcoming event, check out the £25 free bet offer from Blue Square.

Article by Jack Teague

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