On Sunday, at 18:00, Manchester United and Chelsea will play their place in the English Cup final, with a match from the ace square of the competition. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team is in good shape before the match, and the odds for the “devils'” victory are on a downward trend. No wonder, considering how well the Nordics have played lately.
The match at Wembley pits two competition specialists against each other. Manchester United came very close to a ranking in the Top 4, after a gray season, and the morale in Solskjaer’s camp is high. In fact, Manchester United comes after victories with Brighton (3-0), Bournemouth (5-2) and Aston Villa (3-0), but also after an unlucky draw with Southampton (2-2), in which the “devils” they were equalized on their own field, in the last phase.
Chelsea alternated good performances with the least convincing, in the last month: 3-0 with Watford, 3-2 with Crystal Palace and 1-0 with Norwich (match dominated without problems), but also 2-3 at West Ham and 0 -3 at Sheffield United (deplorable match of the Londoners). All in all, Frank Lampard has the chance of a great result this season – qualifying for the English Cup final, where his opponent can be Manchester City or Arsenal. So the stakes are very high.
The statistics of the direct duels give advantage to Manchester United, which won 2-0 in the match played in the championship, on Stamford Bridge, after winning 4-0 at home. Moreover, the “devils” won 2-1 at Chelsea and in the English League Cup, so the white-reds have no less than three successes against the Londoners, this season. With Greenwood, Martial and Rashford in attack, United could wreak havoc, but Chelsea have the ability to cover the spaces well.
At least three goals have been scored in 7 of Manchester United’s last 8 official matches;
Chelsea have not recorded a draw in 11 consecutive official matches;
Manchester United have won 4 of the last 5 duels with Chelsea (3 this season);
At least two goals were scored in 6 of the last 7 direct duels of the two rivals;
Only one direct duel in the last 12 ended in a draw: 1-1 with the championship, in 2019;
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1,76
