Chelsea vs Man Utd : A New Blue Era ?

[The Big Drog 1,110]

From two in a row to three in a row , the two teams that have dominated English football in recent times lock horns on Sunday.

Chelsea have been the undisputed best side in the league so far. With key players firing and playing with a champion’s swagger , they have brushed aside almost every team that has stood in their way , the exceptions being Wigan and Villa. Man Utd on the other hand have thus far been under par and at times look rather lacklustre , however they have managed to pick up points and are only two points off Chelsea at the top of the table.

In these type of games , the way these teams line up on Sunday should be quite interesting and will likely give an indication of each managers beliefs in what they can get out of the game. I expect Chelsea to line up like this

Cech

Ivanovic , Carvalho , Terry , A. Cole

Essien

Ballack , Lampard

Deco

Drogba , Anelka

　

Perhaps Joe Cole and Belletti are in with a shout of starting but with both playing the champions league mid week tie against Athletico , it would seem Ancelotti will favour Deco and Ivanovic respectively.

The Man Utd line up is far tougher to predict. Playing at home , nobody expects Ancelotti to change his system or his personnel. Ferguson on the other hand has been known to tweak his side. Considering the magnitude of the game , taking into account that Man Utd are playing away from home and with the strenght of the Chelsea midfield in mind , I expect Man Utd to start like this.

Van Der Sar

O Shea , Brown , Evans , Evra

Anderson , Fletcher , Carrick

Valencia , Giggs

Rooney

　

Of course that could change. Vidic could be fit , Scholes could start , Giggs might play in the centre , Rooney may play out left with Berbatov starting up front however that is unlikely.

So if those are the teams , where are the weaknesses ? With Chelsea there is still some concern about defending set plays. Ivanovic at right back may be a weakness , as we have seen him exposed by speedy wingers before , Nani in the Community Shield being an example of that. Deco must get into the game , he simply cannot allow himself to be marked out of the it. Then there is the Achilles heel of the diamond formation. Man Utd will know they if they can keep the width on either wing then they will create chances , its absolutely pivotal that Lampard and Ballack chase O Shea and Evra up and down the line.

Where do the fundamental flaws in the Man Utd side lay ? Their midfield has long been a problem , exposed by Barcelona and Liverpool in recent times. If Chelsea move the ball about quickly quickly and push high up on the Man Utd midfield when they’re in possession ( ala Lucas and Mastering ) that is a platform that Chelsea can build upon to win the game. A key weakness for Man Utd this season has been their central defence. With the out of sorts Rio Ferdinand likely to miss the game and the out of form Nemanja Vidic a doubt for the game , it could well be left up to Johnny Evans and Wes Brown to deal with the most dangerous strike force in the league , these are the same centre backs that conceded three at home against CSKA Moscow.

A remarkable change has occurred this season , it is as if the universe has swallowed itself into a vortex and spat itself back out on the other side. The clouds of change have descended upon English football. For so long now the build up to these games centred around one man. Gone are the days of the pre match hype revolving around Cristiano Ronaldo , away with the days of arrogant Man Utd fans saying if Ronaldo starts to fire , Chelsea are done for. Welcome to a new era in the Premier League , greet the new best attacking force in the English game , long live the days where the hype around the game all falls on the shoulders of Didier Drogba. Whether Man Utd fans admit it or not , they know that if Drogba fires , Chelsea may well open up a 5 point lead at the top of the table.

It’s a huge game , it’s the two sides that are likely to contest the Premier League this season , its two sides that have gone through substantial changes during the Summer. Its two sides who have something to prove on Sunday. Man Utd look to prove that they can win against the big boys sans Ronaldo and Chelsea look to prove their title credentials and there is no better way to do that than beating the champions. From a two point lead to a five point lead , victory over the champions may well put Chelsea in champions elect position.

[Jessman 9]

Got me excited just reading it, I really cannot wait 'til this game... I have a good feeling about it.

Drogba + Anelka should make quick work of their defences, I hope Lampsy scores.

The atmosphere wil be amazing, wish I didnt go back to Australia... I'm missing my home already ><

[NattyBlue 44]

Rooney and Berba respectively have had kids so lets hope they'll be tired from lack of sleep from worrying lol

Drogba's so insane at the moment, I think I'll go uni to watch this 1

[Blueboy 14]

Lol, you got me all fired up for Saterday's game with your preview, if that wasn't the case already xD.

I really, really, really hope that we win the game and take a next step towards the championship