PREMIER LEAGUE THURSDAY: The Striker previews Thursday’s Premier League game between MAN U v CHELSEA with extended match stats and a recommended BETDAQ bet.
MANCHESTER UNITED V CHELSEA
7.45pm While all eyes might be on the Europa League Semi-Finals on Thursday night, we also have action from the Premier League on BETDAQ Betting Exchange as Manchester United host Chelsea. I’m sure Chelsea fans would have much preferred to be in the Champions League Semi-Finals this week, and they came so close to achieving that against Real Madrid too! Leaving that aside here though, this is a fantastic chance for Chelsea to notch up another win.
It has paid very handsomely to be against Manchester United in recent weeks. We landed a Max Bet on Liverpool to cover the handicap, and another confident bet on Arsenal at the weekend too. I’m happy to be fully against United here again, the only question for me is what stake to have on Chelsea. This United side has been terrible, and they appear to have totally given up on the season. They didn’t play that badly at the weekend against Arsenal, but they were never really in the game after going 2-0 down reasonably early.
It’s just the same old story with United, they are conceding sloppy goals and not working hard enough. Ten Hag has such a big job on his hands! Chelsea look cracking value at around 2.3. In my opinion they should be odds on favourites here – what caught my eye in my research for this game was how good Chelsea have been this season away from home. They are currently 14 points behind Liverpool who sit in second, but they have earned two more points than Liverpool away from home this season with the sides playing the same number of games. Most of the disappointing Chelsea results this season have come at home.
United have been decent at Old Trafford, but it’s not a scary place to come and play football for any sides anymore. Sides don’t fear this United side, and I can’t see past the Chelsea win here. United have conceded nine goals in their last three games, and although they had to play Liverpool they also conceded twice against Norwich here, and then three times against Arsenal. A few seasons ago United would be expected to beat Arsenal, and as I said at the weekend it’s now the other way around.
Not only have United been conceding sloppy goals, but they just aren’t creating much going forward. Look at some of their recent performances – an xG of 0.80 against Everton and just 1.16 here against Leicester. Two sides that have been very average this season, and that’s not even mentioning the home performance here in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid which was so lacklustre too. I just can’t see United creating enough to win here – they rely so much on some Ronaldo magic and he can’t carry the rest of the side on his own.
Chelsea were made to wait and work hard to win at the weekend, and they did put in a disappointing effort last week against Arsenal but this United side is there for the taking at the moment. With Chelsea trading 2.3 I’m happy to have another Max Bet against Manchester United – I’d have the Chelsea win odds on here against this very poor United side.
The Striker Says:
Five points win Chelsea to beat Manchester United at 2.3 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
You can view all markets here -> https://betdaq.biz/MunChe
MATCH STATS
● Manchester United are unbeaten in their last eight home league games against Chelsea (W3 D5), keeping five clean sheets in that run since a 1-0 loss in May 2013.
● Chelsea are winless in eight Premier League games against Manchester United (D5 L3) – only against Arsenal (19 between 1995 and 2005) and Blackburn Rovers (12 between 1992 and 1998) have they had a longer run without a win in the competition.
● Manchester United have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five Premier League games against Chelsea, having recorded a shutout in just four of their previous 23 against them.
● This is the first time Manchester United and Chelsea are meeting on a Thursday in the Premier League, making it the 13th fixture in the competition to have been played on all seven days of the week. Man Utd are the first opponent the Blues have faced on all seven days, with Man Utd having already faced Aston Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle on Monday-Sunday.
● Following a run of four defeats in eight home league games (W3 D1), Manchester United are unbeaten in their last seven at Old Trafford, alternating between victory (4) and defeat (3) each time.
● Only Manchester City (39) have won more away points in the Premier League than Chelsea (36) this season, while only Liverpool (40) have scored more goals on the road than the Blues (35). Chelsea have won their last eight away games in all competitions, their longest such run in their history.
● Manchester United have lost three of their last four Premier League games (W1), more than they had in their previous 18 (W9 D7 L2). The Red Devils haven’t lost three consecutive league games since December 2015 under Louis van Gaal, while they haven’t conceded at least three goals in three straight league games since December 1978.
● Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has won both of his away games against Manchester United in all competitions, with both games coming in the Champions League in charge of PSG (2-0 in February 2019, 3-1 in December 2020). He’s also won four of his five meetings with Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick (all in the Bundesliga between 2009 and 2011), although he did lose the most recent one in August 2011.
● Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a hat-trick in each of his last two Premier League home games, doing so in 3-2 victories against Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City. It’s the seventh time a player has scored a hat-trick in consecutive Premier League home appearances, the first for a Manchester United player, and the first overall since Sergio Agüero in February 2019.
● Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has been directly involved in 10 goals in 14 away appearances in the Premier League this season (five goals and five assists) – only Mohamed Salah (18), Harry Kane (13) and James Ward-Prowse (11) have more combined goals and assists on the road in the competition this term.
