Who: Chelsea vs Manchester United What: English Premier League (EPL) Where: Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom When: Saturday, April 18 at 8pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
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Chelsea can tighten up the Premier League battle for UEFA Champions League qualification when they host third-placed Manchester United on Saturday, but they will have to reverse a dreadful run of form to do so.
The Blues have only won one of their last five Premier League matches, increasing the pressure on manager Liam Rosenior in his first season in charge of the football club.
United suffered a shock home defeat by Leeds United last week and arrive with injuries and suspensions that will leave them feeling vulnerable for the first time under interim head coach Michael Carrick.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that could ignite a late-season scrap for the top five finishing spots, which offer the route to Europe’s top table next season.
How does the Premier League race to the Champions League stand?
Third-placed United will arrive at Stamford Bridge with sixth-placed Chelsea seven points behind them.
Fifth-placed Liverpool are four points in front of the Blues, while Aston Villa are fourth, level on points with United but seven down on the Red Devils on goal difference.
With Villa and Liverpool not playing until Sunday – Sunderland at home and Everton away, respectively – a Chelsea win would close the gap between third and sixth to just four points for Saturday at least.
Four clubs, including Sunderland and Everton, sit just two points behind Chelsea. A certain run of results across the weekend means just six points could separate third from tenth by the close of this round of matches.
If fans of a close race were to be particularly greedy, wins for Bournemouth and Fulham – 11th and 12th, respectively – as well this weekend could mean the gap from third to 12th would only be eight points with five games to play.
As the former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said: “It is squeaky bum time”.
Clock ticking on Champions League qualification, admits Chelsea manager
Rosenior has warned Chelsea that their bid to qualify for the Champions League is hanging in the balance.
The Blues are on a dismal run of one win from their last seven Premier League games, placing their hopes of reaching Europe’s elite club competition in jeopardy.
It is more than six weeks since Chelsea last scored a goal in the league, but Rosenior knows there is no time left to feel sorry for themselves after last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City.
“As the season goes on, the less games you have left, the more important the games become,” Rosenior told reporters ahead of the game.
“We have to take advantage of this moment. We’re running out of time.
“We need to show that initiative on Saturday and play on the front foot and make up those points, which is still definitely possible.
“If I look at each game, I think it’s just come down to loss of concentration of focus in a moment that then has snowballed into the rest of the performances.
“What we have to do is manage the margins of the game a little bit better.”
Chelsea braced for fan protest ahead of Man Utd visit
A protest by Chelsea supporters is planned ahead of the United game, reflecting the growing discontent since owners BlueCo took over from Roman Abramovich almost four years ago.
Unless results improve drastically in the next few weeks, this season will be the first under the club’s American owners that the team’s league position has dropped.
Rosenior’s position is also likely to come under scrutiny after a disappointing start to his reign, which started in January when he arrived from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.
Maresca departed by mutual consent after hinting he did not receive sufficient support from the owners.
Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo, which led some fans to criticise Rosenior’s appointment and claim he would be a puppet for the board, in contrast to the volatile Maresca.
“Every supporter has their viewpoint,” Rosenior said. “Every supporter wants their club to do well and to win games. Our job, my job, is to produce those results in the long term.”
What happened the last time Chelsea played Man Utd?
The reverse fixture at Old Trafford earlier this season resulted in a 2-1 win for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
Following the sending off of Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez in the fifth minute, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro gave the home side a two-goal advantage at the break.
The latter, however, saw red in the last minute of the first half, but Trevor Chalobah’s 80th-minute strike was in vain as United held on for the win.
This will be the 199th meeting between the clubs, with United winning 81 of the matches and Chelsea emerging victorious on 56 occasions.
Stat attack – Manchester United
United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is just three assists away from equalling the all-time record of 20 in a single Premier League season.
Chelsea manager Rosenior says midfielder Enzo Fernandez has returned to full training and is available for selection for the visit of Manchester United after being dropped for disciplinary reasons.
The 25-year-old Argentina World Cup winner was omitted from the squad for the 7-0 win over League One Port Vale in the FA Cup quarterfinals and last week’s 3-0 Premier League defeat by second-placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez, who had been wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Reece James, had previously said he would assess his future after the World Cup and expressed a desire to live in Madrid, comments for which he later apologised.
“Enzo has been with the group and has been training very, very well,” Rosenior told reporters on Thursday. “So, it’s business as usual in terms of selection for the game.
“In terms of his training, his application to training, Enzo has been fantastic as well.”
Rosenior also provided updates on defender Trevoh Chalobah, who has not played since the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, and on James, who has been sidelined since the loss to Newcastle United also in March.
“Trevoh trained today but not quite fully; it was a modified training,” Rosenior said. “We’ll make a decision on him, but he’s very, very close. Reece is a little bit further away.”
Predicted Chelsea starting lineup
Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro
Manchester United team news
United’s first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire are both suspended for the match.
Maguire was set to return from a one-game ban, but has had his suspension extended by an additional game for improper conduct following his sending off against Bournemouth last month.
Fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is still sidelines by a back injury, while Kobbie Mainoo missed the defeat by Leeds with a knock and remains a doubt.
Predicted Manchester United starting lineup
Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo
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