Manchester United are preparing to welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, in what promises to be an entertaining clash.
The Red Devils will be looking to close the gap on city rivals Manchester City to 11 points, especially with the Citizens in action in the Carabao Cup final this weekend.
Jose Mourinho will know his old side well, having spent two spells at Stamford Bridge, bringing the Blues a number of trophies and making him the club’s most successful manager in their history.
The Portuguese boss will also be keen to get a victory over Antonio Conte, after their very public war of words continued to escalate this season, although that now appears to have calmed down.
He will also be very keen for his team to get a result after they were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. So here are three things that the Old Trafford outfit and Mourinho should be wary off when Chelsea come to visit…
Head-to-Head
These two clubs have been mainstays of the Premier League ever since it’s inception in 1992.
The giants have won the Premier League a combined 18 times and provide fans with a huge amount of entertainment.
Since its beginning, these two clubs have met 51 times, with Chelsea edging out more wins than the home side with 18, compared to United’s 14. There have, however, been more draws with 19 matches ending tied.
Mourinho’s record against his former club
Mourinho has come up against his former side six times already, with four of those matches in charge of Manchester United.
Of those four games, he has only won once, a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford in April 2017. The other three games have all come in defeat, with two 1-0 defeats and a 4-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge in 2016.
Mourinho will be hoping his team’s home form against the Blues can get his side past them on Sunday, rather than having to look at another defeat from his former employers.
Shots per game
United will need to be ready to be solid at the back, something Mourinho is accustomed to, as the Blues have one of the better shot ratios per game heading into the match.
Within Premier League competition, the Blues manage to get an average of 16.3 shots on goal, according to WhoScored.com, whilst only retaining the ball for just over half the match.
The Reds will need to be on their toes throughout the 90 minutes, whilst David De Gea will need to be at his best once again to ensure Manchester United can come away with at least a point.
