Chelsea – Manchester United: Disarray Drives A Premier League Classic (4-3)

What happens when two disjointed teams go head to head? It leads to an all-time Premier League classic. Chelsea seemed comfortable after establishing a two-goal lead, but as United typically do, they pulled back and even managed to score a third goal. However, Cole Palmer had different ideas, as Chelsea scored two more goals in stoppage time to secure an unlikely win. While the game had the entertainment factor, it also underlined the issues both sides have faced this season.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

As Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool fiercely contend for the Premier League crown, two of the English football powerhouses find themselves in a more reflective position, observing as their rivals surge ahead. The fortunes have not been kind to Chelsea and Manchester United this season, placing immense pressure on the shoulders of Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag.

Since Todd Boehly’s arrival, questions have been raised regarding Chelsea’s recruitment and ineffective squad building. Consistent mediocre performances have led to their current position in the lower half of the table, and their aspirations of turning around their form have often hit a roadblock, especially when facing the better teams in the league.

Pochettino opted to stick with the same team from their draw against Burnley, with Đorđe Petrović keeping his place in goal. Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile and Marc Cucurella comprised the backline. The midfield of Caicedo, Fernández, and Gallagher continued, while Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Mykhailo Mudryk formed the attacking trio.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are navigating through turbulent waters . . .