Manchester United v Chelsea predictions: Premier League tips

Manchester United vs Chelsea predictions 

Manchester United will look to bounce back from their latest setback at home to Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday night (8.15pm, Prime Video). 

The Red Devils put in a meek performance last time out against Newcastle United on the road, slumping to a 1-0 defeat, their sixth loss of the campaign. 

Pressure continues to build on Erik ten Hag amid the club’s mixed results in the Premier League and Champions League, despite being only five points off the top four. 

Although they are three places and five points better off than Chelsea, United enter the contest as underdogs with football betting sites offering a best price of 19/10 on a home win.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been up and down in their season, but have at least started to score goals after a slow start. 

Chelsea put three past Brighton to secure a 3-2 victory in their last outing, despite being reduced to 10 men when Conor Gallagher was dismissed in the first half. 

The Blues displayed grit to hold out for the win even as Seagulls cranked up the pressure with their numerical advantage. 

Successive wins would lift Chelsea within two points of United, and the showdown could be pivotal in the respective campaigns of both clubs. After looking at the Premier League odds, here are our Manchester United vs Chelsea predictions.

Expect goals at Old Trafford 

United have only scored eight home goals in seven Premier League games this season, and three of those came in one match in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in August.  

It has been a massive issue for Ten Hag as Marcus Rashford, Antony Martial and Rasmus Hojlund have failed to fire in the top flight. Their struggles are placing a lot of pressure on a creaky United defence, notably keeper Andre Onana to avoid mistakes.  

And although United’s defence and Onana have been suspect in the Champions League, Anthony Gordon’s strike for Newcastle was the first goal they had conceded in the Premier League since the end of October.

Chelsea’s new-found lease of life in the final third will put them to the test, but will also present opportunities for the Red Devils. 

Chelsea’s last four Premier League games have witnessed an incredible 23 goals. Two of those games have resulted in victories, while their 4-4 draw against Manchester City was one of the most thrilling contests of the campaign. 

Just like United, Chelsea also had their troubles against Newcastle, shipping four goals at St James’ Park. 

Pochettino appears to have sacrificed solidity at the back, last keeping a clean sheet at the start of October, to give his side more freedom to push forward. 

They are unlikely to back down against United. So, with our first Man Utd vs Chelsea prediction, we’re backing over 3.5 goals at 13/8 with SpreadEx. 

Sterling to thrive against United 

Raheem Sterling has been one of the key cogs in Chelsea’s improvement in the final third. 

He has scored five goals in 14 Premier League games this season, but has notched four in his last eight in all competitions. 

Sterling has used his pace to devastating effect for Pochettino’s men, and although his finishing can still be hit and miss, Chelsea would be a lot worse off without him.

The Blues are starting to build a decent forward line to contend with the leading sides in the top flight.  

Cole Palmer has hit the ground running since his move from Manchester City, while Nicolas Jackson has had his moments. They can cause United problems, as they have done for a number of other clubs over the last month. 

Playing on the road should suit Sterling’s style, putting his pace to use on counterattacks. The 28-year-old had a quiet game by his standards against Brighton, but we’re backing him to score or assist at Old Trafford at odds of 5/4 with bet365. 

Chelsea to continue picking up cards 

The Blues enhanced their reputation as the bad boys of the Premier League at the weekend as Gallagher collected their third red card of the season. 

Only Liverpool have seen more players dismissed this season, while no team in the top flight has accumulated more yellow cards than Chelsea’s 47.  

Pochettino’s men are averaging over three yellow cards per game, which is fairly alarming at this stage of the season. The Argentine will be hopeful of improving their discipline with more time in the dugout. 

Compare their record to United, who have accrued 28 yellow cards in 14 matches, and have not had a player dismissed in the Premier League this term.

Referee Chris Kavanagh has been assigned the fixture, having already officiated Chelsea once this season. He oversaw the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Arsenal and brandished three cards to each side. 

Overall, Kavanagh has shown 32 yellow cards in seven Premier League games and one red, which came last time out when he dismissed Oli McBurnie in Burnley’s 5-0 win over Sheffield United. 

Looking at UK betting sites, we’re going to take 49/50 of over 5.5 cards with Unibet in the game as we prefer those odds compared to 2.5 Chelsea cards at 3/4 with our final prediction. 

Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.