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At the portal "EuroFootball.com" - the section "Fans' thoughts"! Before the most important, interesting and highly publicized matches, we address the fans who support the clubs stepping into the battle.
London-based forum member BurnleyFan discusses the intriguing postponed match of the 18th round of the English "Premier" League, in which the 'Blues' will clash with the tournament-leading team.
London "Chelsea" - "Man Utd" is one of the most intriguing and fan-attracting football matches in the world. The champions and current leaders of the Premier League will meet at Stamford Bridge stadium, eager to reclaim the title. Will we witness a battle in these matches that we will remember as a great English derby?
League table
The positions in the league table are clear to everyone. With 60 points, the 'Red Devils' are the absolute leaders of the league and surpass the Chelsea team by 15 points. There are 10-11 rounds left until the end of the championship, and football fans are increasingly writing off the 'Blues' and providing many arguments as to why they should lose the title.
10 rounds - it's a "short time" to catch up with significantly distant rivals, especially "Man Utd," who also have two fierce competitors breathing down their necks - London "Arsenal" and "Man City." I dare to say that even two possible victories against today's opponents will not be enough for the Chelsea team. And even one stumble by them. Why only one? "Man Utd" simply plays too consistently, and it's very hard to expect them to waste points.
Let's be realistic - they are the most realistic contenders for the title. Will Sir Alex Ferguson's proteges calmly take home the trophies? Will they be hindered by the closest competitors? This will become clear at the end of the season. Maybe even in the last round - anything can happen that would shuffle the cards for any team.
London "Chelsea"
The gradually recovering "Chelsea" players greet their guests optimistically - in the last midweek's first leg match of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, they defeated the Danish champions "Kobenhavn." We can't say that this victory will be a major stepping stone to victory against "Man Utd," but the team's psychological attitude should be good.
The team's strategist Carlo Ancelotti, whose seat is increasingly shaky, will likely use the same setup as in the match against the Danes. I mean the 4-3-3 tactic, which proved successful in that match.
However, the Italian specialist will have a big headache about the choice of forwards. The match on the field will definitely start with the regular goal scorer Nicolas Anelka, while the other two spots are still contested by the team's newcomer Fernando Torres, the discontent raising Didier Drogba, and Florent Malouda, who usually plays in the main lineup. There is also a high probability of seeing the latter, as he, like Anelka, is a nightmare for opponents' defenders. Meanwhile, Solomon Kalou's chances of appearing on the field from the first minutes are minimal.
So the capital's team has a truly excellent offensive arsenal, but it needs to be used properly. How? These are the coach's decisions. However, as we have seen, often his decisions do not justify themselves. Only one thing is clear - Ancelotti needs to make radical changes. The opponents quickly understand Chelsea's strategy, and "Man Utd" is not the opponent that can usually be outwitted with tactical decisions. It's elementary - you need to act. And when you stand still, we all know what decisions are made from the highest club authorities.
I am eager to see David Luiz on the field - another "Chelsea" signing during the winter transfer window. In matches against both "Liverpool" and London "Fulham," he left a very good impression. The 23-year-old guy showed his abilities excellently in both defender positions, i.e., as a center-back and a left-back. Accurate passes and effective breakthroughs left a good impression. We just have to wait for his goal, although it might be more suitable for Fernando Torres.
"Man Utd"
The first team of the Premier League is currently just the strongest team in England. Unofficially, but it is obvious. The 'Red Devils' demonstrate good and organized team play that opponents just can't grasp. True, let's go back two rounds and remember the first defeat to the "Wolverhampton" team. The 'Wolves' interrupted the impressive streak of "Man Utd" victories and held up against the tough game.
It's doubtful that football experts would say it was a coincidence - a crushing victory over "Wigan" and a win against City's "Man City." It is worth mentioning the impressive "comeback" against the determined "Blackpool" team. All these matches, especially the last ones mentioned, confirm the team's desire to play to the end and win. "Man Utd" is at its highest point and comes to London to fight for just three points.
Can we expect significant changes in the team composition? Partly - yes. Young Chris Smalling will have the opportunity to show his "class" by replacing the injured Rio Ferdinand. Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes will form a solid midfield pair. On the flanks - Nani and Ryan Giggs. The mix of youth and experience of the visitors should cause problems for the opponents.
Match
We all hope for dynamic and beautiful football. However, as history has shown, teams tend to play more defensively. To the question of "why?", the answer is very simple - concede a goal, and the scales tip heavily in favor of the winning team. And that's all the winning teams need, especially when playing against strong opponents. So it's more likely to see defensive-minded matches with an attacking flavor.
I wish you a great match, football fans. In any case, it will be top-level matches that must be watched.
Interesting facts
- "Man Utd" players have not won at Stamford Bridge stadium since April 2002. At that time, the 'Red Devils' celebrated an impressive 3-0 victory.
- In total, the teams have met 36 times in the Premier League: "Chelsea" celebrated victory 12 times, "Man Utd" - 10. The remaining matches ended in a draw.
- It is interesting to note that Fernando Torres has scored 3 goals against the 'Red Devils' while representing the "Liverpool" club. Today will be a great opportunity to improve this statistic.
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