The biggest match of the opening Premier League weekend will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday, when Manchester United host Chelsea in their first match of the season. Last season Chelsea secured a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in the Premier League, two months after having lost 2-0 agains the Red Devils in the FA Cup. The last six competitive matches between these two teams produced a perfectly balanced record, with two wins apiece and two draws.
Manchester United had a pretty intese summer, with lots of transfer rumours. In the end they signed just three players as Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James joined the club, and sold Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan for 65 million pounds. Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia and James Wilson left the club on free transfers this summer. All three new signings are set to make their debuts in Sunday's game, while Eric Bailly and Alexis Sanchez are expected to miss out due to injury and fitness problems. Paul Pogba had a back problem lately but he should be able to play.
Chelsea went through some important changes this summer, Frank Lampard was appointed as manager after Maurizio Sarri left the club, while superstar Eden Hazard was sold to Real Madrid for 100 million pounds. The only new arrivals of the summer were those of Mateo Kovacic, who did spend last season on loan at Stamford Bridge, and Christian Pulisic, whose move had been set up in January. However, the Blues will try to promote their own youngsters, starting with Mason Mount and they also welcomed back Kurt Zouma after a loan spell. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Antonio Rüdiger and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all injured and expected to miss out, but N'Golo Kante has returned to action in the last friendly of the summer and should be fit for Sunday's game.
Probable line-ups:
Man United: De Gea - Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw - Pogba, McTominay - James, Lingard, Rashford - Martial
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga - Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, Emerson - Jorginho, Kante - Pedro, Mount, Pulisic - Abraham
My prediction:
I expect a tight match between two teams that have a lot to prove this season, I think we will see a 1-1 draw.
Here are the odds for the match at NetBet:
Man United win - 2.20
Draw - 3.35
Chelsea win - 3.30
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