(Football news) After losing 2-1 in the rematch in December, Chelsea will be looking for retribution against Manchester United. Chelsea suffered a further setback in their attempt to guarantee themselves a spot in Europe the next season when they were held to a 2-2 home draw by the relegation-threatened Burnley 10 men.
Two minutes after the break, Cullen cancelled out Palmer’s first-half goal, which he had scored shortly after Assignon was sent off for Burnley. The Chelsea player then scored a second goal to put the Blues ahead once more. But three minutes later, Dara O’Shea headed home Cullen’s corner to give the Clarets the victory and save a crucial point for the visitors at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino admitted that his Chelsea side lacked ‘heart and head’ and were “missing something” in what he deemed a “must-win” match against Burnley. With just 11 victories on the board from 28 Premier League fixtures, the Blues are languishing in 11th place and sit four points behind the top seven, while they are eight points adrift of Thursday’s opponents Man United in sixth.
Defensive frailties have been a key contributor to Chelsea’s inconsistent campaign, with the Blues conceding exactly two goals across their last five games, while they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 11 matches across all competitions, shipping 22 goals in the process.
A run of five wins in seven Premier League home games bodes well for Chelsea heading into Thursday’s contest, but their recent record against Manchester United leaves little to be desired, as they have failed to win any of their last 12 league meetings – not since November 2017 when Alvaro Morata secured a 1-0 home win have the Blues celebrated top-flight success over the Red Devils.
Manchester United were unable to follow up their euphoric seven-goal FA Cup quarter-final triumph over Liverpool before the international break with another victory, as they were forced to play out a 1-1 draw with Brentford in the Premier League last weekend.
The contest was goalless until substitute Mason Mount scored what seemed to be the winner for the Red Devils in the 96th minute. However, Brentford’s persistence in the final third – registering a staggering 31 shots on Man United’s goal – eventually told, as Kristoffer Ajer netted a dramatic 99th-minute equaliser.
Erik ten Hag was critical of his side’s performance and admitted that they “didn’t deserve to win”, with the Red Devils’ latest setback leaving them eight points adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and in serious danger of missing out on a Champions League spot for next season.
consecutive league games between Chelsea and the leaders Man United’s next opponent is Liverpool. The team is visiting the city on Thursday, having lost four of their previous six away games against London-based teams and winning just one of their previous nine top-flight away games against these teams.
The Red Devils are hoping to defeat the Blues in three straight games for the first time since September 1965, though, since they have won their last five league visits to Stamford Bridge. If Ten Hag’s team wins on Thursday, they would also have defeated Chelsea in the league for the first time since the 2019–20 season.
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