Manchester United take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Jose Mourinho has already defeated Antonio Conte this season and he will hope to replicate that result to clinch the cup this weekend.
Manchester United can claim a record-equaling 13th FA Cup crown in they beat Chelsea on Saturday. United last won the cup two years ago against Crystal Palace and they will be hoping to end a positive season with some silverware.
Chelsea, who last won the competition back in 2012, will also be looking to win their first trophy of the season. The Blues will be determined to do so after a poor season under Antonio Conte.
So how do Jose Mourinho’s men go about defeating Antonio Conte’s Chelsea? I’m going to be looking at the form of the two sides. How they faired against each other this season and whether or not Mourinho will exploit Chelsea’s frailties.
Form
Both sides have stuttered towards the end of the season. In the Premier League, Manchester United and Chelsea have only won three of their last five games. The Blues most recently suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Newcastle on the final day of the season.
However, in the FA Cup, both sides have looked formidable. Especially United. Two out of Chelsea’s five ties went to extra time, one of those Antonio Conte’s men were held to a 0-0 draw away to Norwich.
Jose Mourinho’s team, on the other hand, have been their typical ruthless self. United conceded their first goal of the cup in the semi-final against Tottenham. Before that, they had won their previous four ties by an aggregate scoreline of 10-0.
Luckily for the Red Devils, they have a manager in Jose Mourinho who loves the FA Cup. The Portuguese man won the competition with Chelsea back in 2007.
Reverse fixture
In the last fixture between these two sides, Manchester United came out on top in February. Despite Willian opening the scoring, Romelu Lukaku equalised before halftime against his former club.
Then in the second half, Lukaku turned provider as his cross was nodded home by Jesse Lingard to seal the victory.
United played a fluid formation. It showed as a 433 on the team sheet, with Sanchez and Martial either side of Lukaku. However, Sanchez played almost as a number 10 in behind Martial and Lukaku. Pogba drifted out wide to the left as Martial cut inside.
The formation looked a potent one and I believe Mourinho could field a similar team again. However, with Lingard playing as the number 10 behind Lukaku and Sanchez. Also with semifinal scorer Herrera coming in for McTominay.
A chance to attack Chelsea
Chelsea have not been at their best this season. Especially defensively. That showed against Newcastle as they were torn apart the whole 90 minutes.
Unlike last season, Antonio Conte was lifeless on the touchline. He looked like a beaten man who was resigned to the fact his time at Stamford Bridge would soon come to an end.
Therefore, this presents Manchester United with a terrific opportunity to attack a flaky Chelsea side. A side who no matter what the result, will still not be content with their campaign. But will Jose Mourinho brave it and attack Conte’s men? I’m not sure.
When Liverpool were struggling earlier in the season, Mourinho insisted United sat back at Anfield sticking to his bus-like plan. However, since then Jose has opted to attack more against the top six sides, often playing a two-man midfield.
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For this reason, I am torn. Manchester United should come out the blocks fast and bombard Chelsea. They will almost definitely resort back to a defensive shape later in the game. The United faithful at Wembley will just be hoping they have a healthy lead before they do so.