Three key battles for Manchester United to beat Chelsea
Manchester United are preparing for Super Sunday as they travel to London to face Chelsea on the heels of two successive victories.
The Red Devils are back among the goals after the two convincing performances against Derby County and Stoke City, and are currently fifth in the table, five points shy off the fourth placed Arsenal.
On the other hand, the home side and the defending champions are still trying to recover from their misfortune this season. The Blues have been unbeaten under new manager Guus Hiddink, but still don’t find themselves in the upper half of the table. The two giants might not be enjoying this season in terms of results but the match on Sunday is still huge. The following battles could help in shaping the result of the fixture.
Wayne Rooney vs Kurt Zouma
Manchester United have been getting the results in 2016 as Wayne Rooney has struck form again. The Red Devils captain has scored seven goals since the start of new year. Rooney has been rejuvenated since he was demoted to bench against Stoke City on boxing day. The English forward has been quite sharp and delivering all-around performances. He tends to exchange positions with Juan Mata, which helps in creating uncertainty in the opponent’s backline, enough to cause a headache to Chelsea’s centre-backs.
Kurt Zouma has been rewarded with a starting place in the heart of the defense for Chelsea due to his great awareness and physical attributes. He also boasts good pace, which will prove difficult for Rooney to get better of the former. United would be hoping that Rooney overcomes this battle against Zouma as the captain has been a big outlay of goals lately.
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Borthwick-Jackson vs Willian
Louis Van Gaal wanted to buy a left-back in January window, but the recent calm performances from Borthwick-Jackson changed the Dutchman’s mind. The teenager has been doing his job perfectly after breaking into the first team due to injuries to Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw; he is very composed in one on one duels and quite adventurous while going down the left flank. He has been delivering very good crosses and was rewarded for it against Stoke City as he grabbed the assist for Manchester United’s first goal.
The 19-year-old will probably face his first big test as he will be facing Willian on the left flank against Chelsea. The Brazilian has been the rare positive for the Blues in their dismal season, with a good amount of trickery and pace that can cause havoc on his day. The Chelsea winger has also been a dead ball specialist this term. Borthwick-Jackson will probably have to perform on even a greater level to stop the threat on the left flank on Sunday.
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Juan Mata vs Nemanja Matic
Manchester United have been criticized for their creativity problems in the final third this season. The Red Devils have not been able to create good amount of chances despite dominating possession, with Juan Mata the player who has created the most chances. The Spaniard has endured a dip in form after a bright start to the season, but has been showing the glimpses of a return to form in the last two matches when he has started as a no 10. He was heavily involved in all the three goals scored against Stoke City and Van Gaal suggested that if he continues to do that, he will surely get an extended run in the position.
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Nemanja Matic has been enduring a difficult season after being one of the best defensive midfielders in the league last year. The Serbian has gained some confidence under Hiddink as he pairs up with John Obi Mikel to shield the defence, though. Matic will have a key role in stopping Mata by tracking his movement as the latter’s creativity and linkup with Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial could cause problems for the home side.