Manchester United vs Chelsea Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Manchester United welcome fellow top four hopefuls Chelsea to Old Trafford on Saturday in the standout fixture of matchday six in the Premier League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side go into the match following another remarkable Champions League win in Paris, while Frank Lampard’s Chelsea were held to a turgid goalless draw at home to Sevilla in midweek.
Both sides' domestic campaigns have got off to an indifferent start, so the three points on the line here could be crucial as a kick-start for their respective seasons.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? Saturday 24 October
What Time Is Kick Off? 17:30 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Old Trafford
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Premier League & Sky Sports Main Event, NBC (USA)
Referee? Martin Atkinson
Team News
Eric Bailly will miss up to four weeks for United, but Solskjaer was more hopeful about the prospect of Harry Maguire returning in time for this match.
Should the England international pass a late fitness test then Solskjaer will have a decision to make after Axel Tuanzebe put in such an accomplished display in his first game for ten months in Paris.
Anthony Martial serves the second of his three-game ban following his red card against Spurs, which could open the door for deadline day arrival Edinson Cavani to make his debut after being left at home for the trip to his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
Mason Greenwood is also a doubt after being left out of the last two squads - an absence Solskjaer insists is down to injury despite speculation that he has been warned about indiscipline by club chiefs.
Chelsea now have close to a full-strength squad to choose from, with Billy Gilmour the only remaining absentee after Mendy returned ahead of schedule against Sevilla.
Lampard played down concerns over the fitness of Thiago Silva after he fell awkwardly against Sevilla, while fellow summer signing Hakim Ziyech is pushing for his first start.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Shaw, Telles; McTominay, Fred, Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood
Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell; Jorginho, Kante; Mount, Havertz, Pulisic; Werner
Recent Form
Rewind to St. James' Park seven days ago where United appeared to be falling apart at the seams having lost their last Premier League game 6-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, missed out on all of their top transfer targets and were now 1-0 down to Newcastle United inside 90 seconds.
Fast-forward to this week, however, and United welcome Chelsea to the Theatre of Dreams having returned to winning ways, coming from behind to beat Newcastle in the Premier League as well as beating last season's Champions League runners-up PSG at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
The Red Devils have now won five of their last six games in all competitions, but the main concern will be that all five of those wins have come away from home. The victory in Paris means that they have now won 10 consecutive away games in all competitions for the first time ever, but at Old Trafford it’s an totally different ball game.
The 20-time champions are still searching for their first home point of the campaign, having been beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace in their opener before that disastrous 6-1 embarrassment at the hands of Spurs - their joint-worst ever Premier League defeat.
Only once in their entire history have United lost each of their opening three home league games of a campaign, with that coming in 1930/31 as they went on to finish bottom of the table.
It is just as well, then, that they welcome a Chelsea side whose away record could also do with vast improvement, particularly on the defensive side.
The Blues have shipped more away goals than any other club in the Premier League since the start of last season (42), while their away matches have seen more goals than any other team's in total, with 87 going in.
Three more went in last weekend as the Blues twice threw away a lead to draw 3-3 with Southampton, having had an early two-goal advantage courtesy of Timo Werner's first Premier League goals.
Chelsea's last away outing in the Premier League saw them fall 3-0 down to West Bromwich Albion before rescuing a 3-3 draw, but they will know that Man Utd will not allow them a route back into the game so easily if they make another poor start.
Manchester United
PSG 1-2 Man Utd (20/10)
Newcastle 1-4 Man Utd (17/10)
Man Utd 1-6 Spurs (04/10)
Brighton 0-3 Man Utd (30/09)
Brighton 2-3 Man Utd (26/09)
Chelsea
Chelsea 0-0 Sevilla (20/10)
Chelsea 3-3 Southampton (17/10)
Chelsea 4-0 Crystal Palace (3/10)
Tottenham [won on pens] 1-1 Chelsea (29/9)
West Brom 3-3 Chelsea (26/9)
Prediction
Manchester United will no doubt be full of confidence after their win over PSG in midweek, but it is impossible to ignore their home form, which has seen them lose both Premier League games at Old Trafford this season.
Chelsea are by no means away day specialists themselves, but their matches guarantee goals at the moment and, with major question marks hanging over both defences, you can see an entertaining score draw on the cards here.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Chelsea