Just now both teams in the weekend’s Premier League crunch clash, Chelsea FC at Manchester United, announced their squads. For the most part, it is pretty straight-forward and what you might expect. There are some notable decisions made that warrant discussion however.
Let’s start with the visitors, where manager Frank Lampard has named five defenders, two midfielders and three attackers to his first team. The 5-2-3 lineup will try to thwart United’s counter-attacking, which has been a real problem for the Blues in the recent installments of this series.
Our team for #MUNCHE! ?? pic.twitter.com/5TpvBGpkma
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 24, 2020
Chelsea FC at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: 12:30pm ET, 5:30 BST Saturday, October 24, Old Trafford
Odds: United (+140) Chelsea FC win (+175) Draw (+260)
Starting XI Predictions: Manchester United Chelsea FC
Team News for both sides: go to this link
TV Channel: NBC (US) Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
You’ll also see Kepa Arrizabalaga, the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, not included at all. Left off the bench, he now appears to be the third choice in between the sticks.
Switching over to the hosts, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went with the same team from the last league fixture, a 4-1 win over Newcastle United. He contib
? Ole names an unchanged side from our last @PremierLeague game…
And there's a new boy on the bench ?#MUFC #MUNCHE
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 24, 2020
It’s definitely the heart, grit, hustle and desire kind of lineup. It’s filled with the players that you expect, just want it a little more than the others. Although we’re surprised to see Axel Tuanzebe only on the bench. His heroics versus Kylian Mbappe and Neymar on Tuesday night really make him deserving of a start.
Speaking of PSG players, Edinson Cavani was named to the bench, so this could see his first action since he last wore a Paris Saint-Germain shirt.
Prediction: United 2, Chelsea FC 1
United have not lost three home games to open a season since 1930, and they haven’t dropped three straight home games at any point in a season since 1979.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.