Match Preview
This weekend the Blues play our final
Saturday game of the season. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club
statistician Paul Dutton look ahead to a very important top-four
clash...
The Red Devils have suffered 15 Premier League defeats against Chelsea (also more than any other team) but their recent six-match run of victories, including Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City, shows a side in good form.
Yet Chelsea are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run against the Mancunians in all competitions, which equals our previous best against them, set between 1967 and 1970. We will have to play well to extend it, as Louis van Gaal’s men have a fine record against others currently in the top five.
TALKING POINTS
The seven-point advantage currently enjoyed by leaders Chelsea could extend to 10 this weekend as second-placed Arsenal are in FA Cup action and when it comes to Saturday’s opponents, the Blues are, in fact, the only Barclays Premier League rival to have a better record against Manchester United than Man United have against them.The Red Devils have suffered 15 Premier League defeats against Chelsea (also more than any other team) but their recent six-match run of victories, including Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City, shows a side in good form.
Yet Chelsea are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run against the Mancunians in all competitions, which equals our previous best against them, set between 1967 and 1970. We will have to play well to extend it, as Louis van Gaal’s men have a fine record against others currently in the top five.
| Top five mini league (points won from current top five opponents) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | Pts | ||
| 1 | Man Utd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Man City | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
The maximum points now possible for the top four teams is: Chelsea 94, Arsenal 84, Manchester United 83, and Manchester City 79.
Jose Mourinho’s men have opened the scoring in the last 19 games in
all competitions and gone on to win 11, draw six and lose two. Before
eventually winning well, Man United were torn apart in the opening 15
minutes of Sunday’s Manchester derby and can be caught napping. No team
has scored as many in the opening 10 minutes as Chelsea, with 10 goals
netted.
It is also just three away games ago that the Mancunians were beaten 2-1 at Swansea, having taken the lead. Three summer acquisitions who started at the Liberty – Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw – have since been sidelined. Not since the days of Cold War spies has so much money been left on a bench.
Three PFA Player of the Year nominees will be on show in the weekend’s big game: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa and, from Manchester United, goalkeeper David De Gea. Hazard and De Gea are joined by Thibaut Courtois in the frame for the players’ union Young Player of the Year.
It is also just three away games ago that the Mancunians were beaten 2-1 at Swansea, having taken the lead. Three summer acquisitions who started at the Liberty – Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw – have since been sidelined. Not since the days of Cold War spies has so much money been left on a bench.
Three PFA Player of the Year nominees will be on show in the weekend’s big game: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa and, from Manchester United, goalkeeper David De Gea. Hazard and De Gea are joined by Thibaut Courtois in the frame for the players’ union Young Player of the Year.
Perhaps the fact Man United have passed the ball back to their goalkeeper more often than any other Premier League team this season has put him more in the spotlight. It also suggests their players can be pressed and forced to face their own goal.
At least in domestic competitions, Man United have for decades fed the ball wide to fast, clever wingers who tore towards the by-line and crossed or cut the ball back. That approach is now is a relic of the Ferguson era, and was echoed by chants of ‘4-4-2’ and ‘Attack attack attack’ from the stands until recently.
It is to Van Gaal’s credit that his side have been moulded back into an effective outfit that has won six on the spin, though this is maybe more the pragmatist of AZ Alkmaar than the idealist of his Barcelona days. This Man United is about tight defence and a deep, defensive midfielder who play the ball forward quickly and, if necessary, hit it long to create counter-attacks.
Chelsea’s overall win sequence is three games long and at home we are undefeated for 15 matches. Cesc Fabregas’s late winner made it five victories in succession on the road. The next two crucial games are away at Arsenal and Leicester City – our game in hand.
Premier League Top Four run-in
Chelsea need a maximum 12 points from our remaining seven games to
secure the Premier League trophy for a fourth time in 11 seasons.| APRIL | Chelsea | Arsenal | Man Utd | Man City |
| Sat 18 | Man Utd (h) | Chelsea (a) | ||
| Sun 19 | West Ham (h) | |||
| Sat 25 | Aston Villa (h) | |||
| Sun 26 | Arsenal (a) | Chelsea (h) | Everton (a) | |
| Wed 29 | Leicester (a) | |||
| MAY | ||||
| Sat 2 | West Brom (h) | |||
| Sun 3 | C Palace (h) | Tottenham (a) | ||
| Mon 4 | Hull (a) | |||
| Sat 9 | C Palace (a) | |||
| Sun 10 | Liverpool (h) | QPR (h) | ||
| Mon 11 | Swansea (h) | |||
| Sun 17 | Man Utd (a) | Arsenal (h) | Swansea (a) | |
| Mon 18 | West Brom (a) | |||
| Wed 20 | Sunderland (h) | |||
| Sun 24 | Sunderland (h) | West Brom (h) | Hull (a) | Southampton (h) |
The terrestrial television scheduling of the live FA Cup semi-final involving Steve Clarke’s Reading and Arsenal (now the Blues’ closest title rival and next opponent) for a kick-off 10 minutes ahead of our key title showdown seemed avoidable.
This league fixture was announced as a Saturday evening game by Sky in February, when Chelsea and Man United were already out of the domestic knockout competition. (Man U, in fact, were out of all cup competitions in March for the first time since 2006.)
However, Saturday evening around 5pm has been the allotted slot for an FA Cup semi-final since 2009, when the Blues beat Arsenal 2-1. The previous year that first game kicked off at 12.15pm.
Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday
Crystal Palace v West Brom 3pm
Everton v Burnley 3pm
Leicester v Swansea 3pm
Stoke v Southampton 3pm
Chelsea v Manchester United 5.30pm - Sky Sports
Sunday
Manchester City v West Ham 1.30pm - Sky Sports
Newcastle v Tottenham 4pm - Sky Sports
Barclays Premier League top eight
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 31 | 38 | 73 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 32 | 31 | 66 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 32 | 29 | 65 |
| 4 | Man City | 32 | 31 | 61 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 32 | 11 | 57 |
| 6 | Southampton | 32 | 22 | 56 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 32 | 4 | 54 |
| 8 | Swansea | 32 | -2 | 47 |
Last Updated: Sat Apr 18 12:00:00 BST 2015
Race for the Premier League Golden Boot
Diego Costa 19Sergio Agüero (Man City) 19
Harry Kane (Tottenham) 19
Charlie Austin (QPR) 17
Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 14
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) 14
Top Premier League clean sheets
Southampton 15Chelsea 14
Liverpool 13
West Brom 12
Arsenal 11
Swansea 11
CHELSEA BY NUMBERS
Chelsea are the only team from the 92 in the four league divisions not to lose at home in the league this season.
The Blues have also conceded fewer home league goals (seven) than any other team in the four divisions.
Chelsea have kept 16 clean sheets in our last 23 Barclays Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, conceding just nine goals.
We have opened the scoring in 25 of our 31 Premier League matches this term, more than any other team.
Cesc Fabregas has assisted 30 goals for the Blues in all competitions this term (assists judged by the club statistician). He has completed 1,947 passes in the Premier League, more than any other player.
Eden Hazard has completed 148 successful dribbles in the Premier League, 46 more than Alexis Sanchez.
A total of 36 players have been booked for fouls on Eden Hazard this season in his 45 appearances in all competitions.
Hazard has suffered 94 fouls in the Premier League which is 18 more than any other player.
John Terry 4,083, Branislav Ivanovic 4,033 and Eden Hazard 4,029 have played the most minutes this season for Chelsea. They have started every Premier League game.
Last six results
Premier League scorers 64
Diego Costa 19, Hazard 12 (3 pens), Oscar 6, Remy 5, Ivanovic 4, Drogba 3, Fabregas 3, Schurrle 3, Terry 3, Willian 2, Cahill 1, Matic 1, Ramires 1, own goal 1
Premier League shots on target 180
Diego Costa 37, Hazard 28, Oscar 22, Willian 16, Fabregas 13, Ivanovic 10, Remy 10, Matic 8, Terry 8, Cahill 6, Drogba 6, Schurrle 6, Azpilicueta 3, Cuadrado 3, Ramires 3, Filipe Luis 1
League games since
A home win: 0
A home draw: 1
A home defeat: 16
Chelsea’s next three games
MILESTONES
Chelsea are seeking an eighth successive game in all competitions without defeat against Man United, which would set a new club high.MAN UTD BY NUMBERS
Formed 1878 (as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway FC)Major trophies
20 League championships, last in 2013
11 FA Cups, last in 2004
4 League Cups, last in 2010
20 FA Charity/Community Shields (including 4 shared), last in 2013
3 European Cups, last in 2008
1 European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991
1 UEFA Super Cup in 1991
1 Intercontinental Cup in 1999
1 FIFA Club World Cup in 2008
Man United have suffered just two defeats in 22 Premier League games since 2 November 2014.
The Red Devils are seeking a seventh successive league win since Swansea beat them on 21 February.
Man Utd’s loss at Stamford Bridge last season is their only Premier League defeat in London in their last 21 games in four years (Won 12, drawn 8, lost 1).
United have won 22 points from their 15 away games with five wins at Arsenal, Southampton, QPR, Newcastle and Liverpool, seven draws with Sunderland, Burnley, West Brom, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Stoke and West Ham and three defeats to Leicester, Man City and Swansea..
Louis van Gaal’s side have 65 points, one more than they gained in the whole of last season.
Manager Louis van Gaal
Days in charge: 334
Played 38
Won 22
Drawn 9
Lost 7
Days in charge: 334
Played 38
Won 22
Drawn 9
Lost 7
| RED DEVILS’ LAST 10 YEAR LEAGUE HISTORY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pts | Pos | |
| 2004/05 | 77 | 3rd |
| 2005/06 | 83 | 2nd |
| 2006/07 | 89 | 1st |
| 2007/08 | 87 | 1st |
| 2008/09 | 90 | 1st |
| 2009/10 | 85 | 2nd |
| 2010/11 | 80 | 1st |
| 2011/12 | 89 | 2nd |
| 2012/13 | 89 | 1st |
| 2013/14 | 64 | 7th |
| Last six results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mar 04 | Newcastle (a) | W 1-0 |
| Mar 09 | Arsenal (h) FAC | L 1-2 |
| Mar 15 | Tottenham (h) | W 3-0 |
| Mar 22 | Liverpool (a) | W 2-1 |
| Apr 04 | Aston Villa (h) | W 3-1 |
| Apr 12 | Manchester City (h) | W 4-2 |
Premier League scorers (59)
Rooney 12 (2 pens), Van Persie 10 (1 pen), Mata 8, Fellaini 5, Herrera 5, Falcao 4, Smalling 4, Di Maria 3, Blind 2, Young 2, own goals 2, Carrick 1, Wilson 1.
League games since
An away win: 0
An away draw: 3
An away defeat: 2
THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Mike Dean is returning for what will be his second match of our last three at Stamford Bridge. He was also in charge of our 1-1 home draw with Southampton last month. His other two Blues games this season were before Christmas: a 3-0 win against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge and a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad in September.OTHERWISE ENGAGED
There are no suspensions.
The deadline for receiving a suspension for reaching 10 cards has now passed. A player receiving 15 cards before the end of the campaign will be banned.
Live scores
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 31 | 38 | 73 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 32 | 31 | 66 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 32 | 29 | 65 |
| 4 | Man City | 32 | 31 | 61 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 32 | 11 | 57 |
| 6 | Southampton | 32 | 22 | 56 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 32 | 4 | 54 |
| 8 | Swansea | 32 | -2 | 47 |
| 9 | West Ham | 32 | 2 | 43 |
| 10 | Stoke City | 32 | -4 | 43 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 32 | -1 | 42 |
| 12 | Everton | 32 | -3 | 38 |
| 13 | Newcastle United | 32 | -18 | 35 |
| 14 | West Brom | 32 | -16 | 33 |
| 15 | Aston Villa | 33 | -21 | 32 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 32 | -23 | 29 |
| 17 | Hull City | 32 | -16 | 28 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 33 | -21 | 26 |
| 19 | Burnley | 32 | -24 | 26 |
| 20 | Leicester City | 31 | -19 | 25 |
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