Chelsea vs Manchester United
30th October 2005hrs
Football – England – EFL Cup
Pick Chelsea
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 10/11 odds taken 2000 GMT, Tuesday 29 October)
The tie of this round takes place at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea hosting Manchester United. With trophies hard to come by for both clubs at the moment the EFL Cup has become more of a priority in recent seasons.
Chelsea vs Manchester United Live Stats & Betting Odds
Chelsea Preview – Can Chelsea continue recent good run and progress to the last eight of the EFL Cup?
After something of an uncertain start to life under Frank Lampard the future is looking bright for Chelsea. Unable to sign players as a result of a transfer ban, the club have been forced into using a lot of players who were out on loan last season – and it is paying dividends. The Blues have won seven straight in all competitions, starting with a 7-1 win at home to Grimsby in the last round of this cup. It’s been an impressive run of form which has seen them made good progress both domestically and in Europe. Last week’s 1-0 win away to Ajax in the Champions League was their best result yet and they followed up with a 4-2 win away to Burnley at the weekend.
It may not be the stars of the league winning sides over the last decade but this is a very capable Chelsea team and one that can develop a huge amount yet. A top four finish and qualification for the Champions League knockout stages are the clear priorities. But this is a club who thrive on trophies and the EFL Cup is a realistic target. A lot of the players will also be out to go one better than when getting beat in the final last season.
Manchester United Preview – Will United take confidence from two away wins in a row and upset hosts?
It’s been a trying season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his Manchester United team for the most part but the last week or so has at least given the club some respite. A draw at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool was morale-boosting, if nothing else, whilst victories away to Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League and Norwich in the league will have restored some confidence to players who are in desperate need of it. The return to fitness of Anthony Martial is another encouraging sign and his inclusion in the squad adds much more dynamism and attacking threat.
A penalty shootout win at home to Rochdale is not usually the start of a story that leads to clubs winning silverware but that’s exactly how United have ended up in this position. Solskjaer would undoubtedly take a similar result on Wednesday, as long as it ends up with his team in the draw for the quarter finals. Like Chelsea, United cannot afford to be too picky when it comes to trophies these days and they are recent winners of this competition having won it back in 2016/17 under Jose Mourinho. They would be delighted to repeat that feat.
Key-Facts – Chelsea vs Manchester United
- Chelsea reached the final of this competition last season only to lose on penalties – they will be keen to go one better than that this time around
- United struggled to get past Rochdale in the previous round and will need a much better performance on Wednesday to remain in the competition
- United come out on top when these teams met in the Premier League back in August, with a flattering 4-0 win
Chelsea vs Manchester United Betting Advice
Chelsea and Manchester United may not have the same standing they did a few years ago but this fixture remains one of the biggest in English football. The fact this game takes place in the EFL Cup also adds meaning to it which may not be there in the league. As above, this is a tie that both managers will be eager to win and see their club continue on a run they hope ends at Wembley early next year.
United ran out 4-0 winners on the opening day of the league season but they can consider themselves somewhat fortunate. Now, with home advantage and coming into this in game in excellent form, Chelsea will hope to turn the tables on their rivals. Lampard has the option to rotate without losing too much quality from his starting line-up and that could prove the difference on this occasion.
