Chelsea v Man United Tips | SBK Betting Zone

All eyes will be on the television as Chelsea meet Manchester United in the Premier League’s featured game on Saturday. Robin Bairner previews the mouth-watering match.

The Ronaldo issue

Manchester United’s Premier League trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is perhaps the biggest game of Erik ten Hag’s brief reign as Red Devils manager. Yet, instead of talking about his side’s good form coming into the match, newspaper headlines revolve around Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese striker stormed out of the ground during United’s midweek win over Tottenham and will not be involved in any capacity on Saturday, with his future at Old Trafford now very much in doubt.

Ronaldo’s absence is unlikely to be keenly felt on the pitch given he has netted just two goals in all competitions, but how much of an impact will all of this outside noise have on Erik ten Hag’s ever-improving side?

Ten Hag making his mark

Putting aside the Ronaldo issue, Manchester United are a team on a high. They have recorded four wins and a draw from their last five matches, while also emerging victorious in 10 of their last 13 games. Their performances have not always been slick, but the manner in which they destroyed Tottenham on Wednesday suggests elite displays could be on their way.

Cristiano Ronaldo: causing off-the-field drama for Manchester United

Stamford Bridge has been a historically difficult venue for United, and if they are to take all three points at the London venue, it would undoubtedly serve as a fresh benchmark for Ten Hag’s squad. Indeed, they have only picked up maximum points twice from their last 20 Premier League visits to Chelsea.

Draws, though, have been commonplace, with each of the last four encounters ending with a tie. The pair of scoreless draws in the 2020/21 campaign were followed by a couple of 1-1 stalemates last term.

Potter making quiet progress

Chelsea, meanwhile, are also going through a quiet revolution. Following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in September, Graham Potter has overseen a streak of seven games undefeated, which also included five wins. The former Brighton boss led his team past AC Milan on two occasions in that stretch, but he is yet to face a major domestic rival.

The 47-year-old masterminded a 4-0 victory over the Red Devils in May last season with his former side, which turned out to be another nail in Ralf Rangnick’s coffin at Old Trafford. While he also led Brighton to a shock 1-0 success at Old Trafford on the opening day of this season. These wins came after Potter strung together six successive losses against United.

The Englishman can lay down a benchmark of his own at his new club if he is able to snap Chelsea’s nine-game winless streak against the Red Devils in the Premier League.

Hard to separate

Chelsea head the market at 2.2, while Man United are on offer at 3.6, which is a reflection of their modest away form. The Blues deserve favouritism, but still look a little short to back given the tendency of this fixture to end in a draw. As a consequence, the draw no bet market is a possibility here at 1.6.

Backing under 2.5 goals at 2, meanwhile, looks strong value. Each of Man Utd’s last two Premier League games have produced fewer than three strikes, while Chelsea have seen just two goals in their last two games. The history of this fixture suggests it will be an evenly fought affair.