Chelsea – Manchester Utd

Manchester United could take at least one point away from London.

Xabi Alonso took over as Chelsea manager some time after Liam Rosenior was sacked. While the previous coaches who worked with the Blues were criticized for their results and dismissed after poor spells, Rosenior failed at absolutely everything. For the first time in many years, Chelsea were not even granted the right to compete in European competitions. Following such a manager, taking the job at Chelsea was extremely advantageous for Xabi Alonso, because with such an incredible group of players, it was simply impossible to sink any lower than Chelsea did this spring. However, it would also have been reckless to expect the Spanish coach to magically get the Blues playing well within a matter of weeks. Nevertheless, at the start of his Chelsea career, Xabi Alonso produced a winning streak, which was followed by some unconvincing spells of play. In September, the Blues went three matches without a win, culminating in a 0–3 defeat to Brentford. Chelsea will probably enter the upcoming match during the most difficult period of the season. In the previous round of the English championship, the Blues were soundly beaten by Tottenham in front of their home supporters, and on Wednesday they were knocked out of the League Cup after losing to Liverpool in a penalty shootout. Of course, the fans will forgive the team for these setbacks if they beat Manchester United. However, the visitors have their own sources of motivation. Since Alex Ferguson's departure, the Manchester club has changed not one or two head coaches, but the fans did not regret the dismissal of any of them. A unique situation is developing around Michael Carrick. On the one hand, Manchester United are playing so poorly that some of their previous coaches were sacked for lesser 'offenses.' On the other hand, this time the fans blame the players themselves for their complacency, booing them after poor matches while defending Carrick. Manchester United's board also does not want him to be dismissed and has publicly expressed its support for the coach. It seems as though everyone at the club has united around Carrick and is determined to resolve the crisis. Despite the recent results, it is worth betting on a successful outcome for the visitors in their trip to the capital of England.