Coming up tomorrow is a do-or-die encounter in the FA cup 5th round, as Chelsea, whose manager is somewhat in a hot seat, will be hosting the rejuvenated Man United side who have been moving in the right direction ever since Solskjaer took over as interim manager at the club. This fixture has been rumored to be one of the two games that will determine the Chelsea manager’s fate at the club in the next few weeks.
An exciting fixture and the biggest game in the FA fifth round. A night that the fans are anticipating and patiently waiting for, to witness two rivals lock horns for the second time this season. This is a game between two top teams who have gotten completely opposite run of form in the league so far, one started the season excellently and have been declining recently, and the other started the season on a decline and are now in an amazing run of form at the moment.
Chelsea are currently on the low after their recent poor results in the league and are already feeling the top four race heat despite being favorites to finish top 4 months ago. Their contender tomorrow have come all the way from 8th position to overtake the 4th position with a 1 point lead, which makes this fixture a strong battle for both teams. The Blues are currently fighting to play champions league football next season, but will be looking win this competition again this season, even though it isn’t really their top priority. They will be looking to get the job done against Man United tomorrow to stand a chance to progress to the next stage in the competition.
This season hasn’t been great for the so far as Sarri and Chelsea has faced lots of criticism about his tactics his decision to stick with only one style of play and also Chelsea’s very poor performances in some of the games this season. But so far so good, the team isn’t in a crises as they are still very much fighting in all competition they are in at the moment and have reached the EFL cup final which is great for them.
Man United looked like they weren’t going to make the top 4 this season, but things have quickly turned around for them ever since Solskjaer took over the club. They have gone on to overtake Chelsea and are now in 4th position with a 1 point lead. They will be disappointed for their draw against Chelsea early this season, just a few seconds remaining to hold on to their 2-1 lead at the bridge, and will be looking to get the job this time at the bridge. Their target this season will be to finish in the top 4, but will definitely be looking to win the FA Cup after a couple of years without winning this trophy.
On paper, this is a much even contest, although Man United are in better form at the moment and will be going into this game with more confidence. But nevertheless, this game between two top teams and will be very difficult for both teams.
Chelsea vs Man United
A lot of fans, especially the neutral fans are anticipating this fixture because it is a match where we get to see two top teams battle it out in a do-or-die contest and it promises to be a very exciting match for both teams and for the fans.
For Chelsea, they are playing a team who are performing very well for the past few weeks and getting perfect results so far, except their loss against PSG in the UCL, but they are playing at the bridge which will be a huge advantage for them going into the game. Nonetheless, playing Man United is always very difficult whether home or away from their experience in their first meeting this season, so it will be a very difficult game for both teams. A win in this game will somehow relieve the pressure off Sarri which according to rumours, this game is one of the games that might determine his fate as a Chelsea manager in the next coming weeks.
For Man United, this is another big test under the new manager, they failed the major test against PSG in the champions league and will be putting their attention on this fixture to get it right this time. They are going up against a team who desperately needs to prove the media wrong, which means that they need to put in a top-level performance if they are to get the desired result out of the game.
My Expectations In Terms Of Tactics and Gameplay
For Chelsea, they will most likely lineup in their usual 4-3-3 formation. Sarri will most likely not make any changes from the team that lost to City few weeks ago, but will want his team to show a positive reaction and be more solid at the back. Their aim in this game will be to try to pass the ball around more quickly and also recover the ball quickly as possible and hurt Man United through clever and incisive passes.
For Man United, they will possibly setup in a 4-2-3-1 or in a 4-3-3 formation. The team is still in great form despite their loss against PSG few days ago, so they will be going into this game knowing fully well that they have what it takes to get the job done at the bridge if they put in a good performance. Solskjaer must have watched few of Chelsea’s recent games and will want his team to capitalize on Chelsea’s weaknesses while also attacking and creating goal scoring opportunities.
My Opinion
Overall, this is going to be a very exciting encounter and will surely be a very difficult game for both teams. Looking back at how poorly Chelsea have been in most part this season, this game could be one of the factors that might determine Sarri's future at the club. Both Chelsea and Man United want to win this game, so it will be interesting to see how they battle it this time around in the FA cup.
And that is a wrap…
Who will come out on top and do you think this game will determine Sarri's fate?
I would love to read your own opinions… Enjoy your day.
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