The atmosphere in England is currently tensed and almost everyone is looking forward to the titanic clash between Frank Lampard led Chelsea and Ole's Manchester United. The duel which will be going down on Monday(tomorrow) will see under pressure Blues welcome the Red Devils to the Stamford Bridge, as both sides look forward to consolidating a place in Europe next season. Chelsea's top four dreams appear a bit more feasible after the recent ban on Manchester City from UEFA competitions which will be effective from next season. The ban means the team that finishes fifth on the log will automatically qualify for the UEFA champions league in the next two years(that is, if City finishes within the top four in those two seasons).
With no much signings(if any) to boost his young squad, an underrated Lampard has silently built something remarkable out of his side, and they have managed to keep their heads high irrespective of the transfer ban before Lampard took over the wheels of power. On Monday, they will have to send a Valentine gift to their home fans by grabbing all three points against an unpredictable Manchester United side. Chelsea are currently sitting fourth on the league table after 25 games with 41 points to their Name. They have recorded 12 wins so far in the premier league this season, with 5 draws and 8 defeats. With a tasking champions league encounter with Bayern already around the corner, the Blues will stop at nothing in sending an intimidating message across to Bayern on how ready they're for those clashes. A win over a resilient United side can go a long way to boost their morale, especially considering the fact that the first leg will be taking place at the Stanford Bridge. This Chelsea squad have got a lot to prove, and one of it is the fact that though they're young, they are not being given opportunity because of the transfer ban, but the fact that they have what it takes to be a contender for a Silverware in England.
I think it's an all important match for the Blues and they won't allow United feel comfortable when they arrive. At the other side is a Manchester United side that will be looking forward to proving a point to those who have given them no chance of making it to at least top six this season. United may be far from expectations for some time now, but the red devils will not fail to surprise any team that plays down their venom. In fact, United are going into Monday's clash with a new kind of Vibe that seems to have been introduced in the squad by the arrival of Bruno Fernandez, and more recently Odiong Ighalo. A statistical look at their five previous encounters with Chelsea reveals the red devils have an upper hand going into this game, though critics will dismiss this as past glory. In those past five clashes across all competitions, United recorded three wins with Chelsea only managing to escape with two draws. United are currently 9th on the log with 35 points from 25 games and a win against Chelsea can take them as far as the seventh position. There is so much to play for in this match and it promises to be entertaining, certainly not a game to miss.
My Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United
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