Manchester United and Chelsea will battle it out at the Wembley stadium on Sunday for a spot in the FA cup final against Arsenal. Arsenal yesterday beat Manchester City 2-0 in the first FA cup semifinal, as two brilliant goals from Aubameyang sent the Gunners into the final.
Manchester United have had a dream of a second half of this season with The Norwegian finally finding his perfect 11, which he's started for 4 consecutive games since the restart. With the front three Martial, Marcus and Greenwood on a swansong right now, and the brilliance of Pogba and Bruno behind them, they look a pretty formidable side. Their unbeaten streak of 19 games in all competitions is their highest winning stretch after Alex Ferguson retired.
Chelsea have been living vicariously in their endeavors to finish in top 4. Lampard have had a mixed bag of results since the restart but will be hoping that the boys rise to the occasion and grab the FA cup final spot. The Blues have already lost thrice against Manchester United and the pressure of avoiding a quadruple of defeats will definitely be on Lampard.
United and Chelsea have lifted the FA Cup 20 times between them, with United(12) and Chelsea(8), with United looking for a record 13th time equaling Arsenal and also bidding for a record 21st appearance in the final.
Both the managers know all about FA cup success , with Lampard winning it four times as a player and Ole twice. Both of them now looking for their first major trophy as a Manager.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester United : A 4-2-3-1 United Lineup - 1
Romero has always been a first choice for Ole in the FA cup and The Argentinian has hardly disappointed. He's been immaculate as the backup goalkeeper and a first choice in the FA cup. United has just conceded 1 goal and scored 12 in this competition.
CB pair of Maguire and Lindelof might be the same, with Fosu Mensah on the left and Wan bissaka on the right. Ole had cleared that Shaw won't feature because of the twisted Ankle, and Williams might be ready.
Matic was given a much needed rest against Palace, and he will be ready and fresh for a 90 minute shift. Pogba will play the same deep-forward switch role he's being assigned, with Bruno playing up front.
Lingard might be given a nod for Greenwood in case he's not ready, the work off the ball that Jesse does and constant high press would be very useful against a slightly weaker defense. Rashford will keep his place on the left wing given his current vein of form.
Ighalo might play in place of Martial, for the hold up play he offers unlike the Frenchman. Holding up the ball upfront and bringing in extra 2-3 players into the game might be a good option for Ole to explore.
Manchester United : Lineup - 2
The only changes as compared to the previous one being, Eric bailly can be given a nod in place of Lindelof given the number of matches ahead in a short span of time. David could well be between the sticks given the importance of this game. James of Greenwood would play on the right. If fresh Martial could well be given his start given the confidence he's in right now.
Chelsea - Lineup a typical 4-3-3.
Experienced Caballero in between the post, with Zouma and Rudiger as CB's, Alonso on LB and Azpilicueta on RB, it would be a decent back four not the best one though. Leaking goals left right and center have been a huge problem for Lampard and his team.
With an injury to their golden boy Gilmour and Kante being unfit for this clash as confirmed by Frank Lampard, Jorginho and Kovacic should play out in this match. Mount being their third mid-fielder.
In attack Giroud has risen to the occasion and have replaced an out of form Tammy Abraham. Pulisic has been brilliant on LW and Willian on RW could be their formidable attacking trio.
Current Form
Manchester United : WWWWDW
Chelsea : WLWWLW
Score Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea
A very difficult call, both the Managers need to make a few changes given the Champions league spot is still up for a grab. Fitness might come into play as Chelsea have had a couple days extra for rest and preparation, but the form-book says United might just edge past the Blues.
It could well easily go either way, and yesterday's result of Arsenal vs Man City just proves it. Chelsea need to be rock solid at the back as they've been conceding almost every game, and United need to exploit their weakness and be clinical, as scoring hasn't been a problem for the Reds lately.
Stay tuned it for more such updates. Until then Stay Safe!
Cheers!
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