Chelsea v Man Utd: How to watch and follow

Both teams had disappointing draws in the capital at the weekend, with the Blues held 2-2 at home by struggling, 10-man Burnley before United were perhaps fortunate to escape Brentford with a point.

There’s no time to dwell on those games though, as the Premier League has a full fixture schedule this week, starting on Tuesday and culminating with this match.

Read on for our complete guide to the contest between Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag’s sides…

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE GAME?

As with the other nine top-flight fixtures this week, Chelsea v United will be broadcast live on TNT Sports in the UK.

MUTV’s Matchday Live show gets underway at 19:10 BST, bringing you team news, pre-match interviews with Ten Hag and the players plus punditry from Wes Brown, Sammy McIlroy and Ben Thornley.

Make sure you keep across the United App on Thursday for the best interactive content, including Erik’s Matchday Q&A, Predictions and pre-match polls. Live radio commentary is available during the game, and you can vote for your Man of the Match afterwards too, in a poll that will remain open until midday on Friday.

Short and extended highlights will be available to view in the early hours of Friday morning.

TEAM NEWS

Amad returns from his one-match suspension, having missed the draw at Brentford, but Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez are out. Raphael Varane could also be a doubt after being substituted early at the Gtech Community Stadium, although Ten Hag suggested he was taken off as a precaution.

Casemiro and Harry Maguire were introduced as replacements against the Bees, following recovery from injury, and could be pushing for starts this time around.

Altay Bayindir and Jonny Evans have not been involved in our last two fixtures and missed their respective nations’ recent international outings, while Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are longer-term absentees.

The home side have been particularly injury-hit of late and Wesley Fofana (knee) and Romeo Lavia (hamstring) have already been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign by Pochettino, while Reece James, Christopher Nkunku and Lesley Ugochukwu (all hamstring) are also likely to be missing for a while yet.

Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka returned from international duty nursing problems and Levi Colwill and Robert Sanchez have been struggling for fitness. Malo Gusto has established himself at right-back since Christmas but was withdrawn due to a hamstring issue, while reports are suggesting Trevoh Chalobah could be fit to play.

Raheem Sterling dropped to the bench for the visit of Burnley on Saturday but Pochettino hinted the experienced England international could come back in for this fixture.

PAST MEETINGS

Scott McTominay was at the double in the reverse fixture, as United put in one of our best league performances this season to beat the Blues 2-1 at Old Trafford in December. We also defeated Chelsea in M16 last term, by a 4-1 scoreline, but the sides have been harder to separate when it comes to London meetings. Each of the last three Stamford Bridge contests have been drawn, including our most recent visit, in October 2022, when Casemiro’s stoppage-time header secured a deserved point just minutes after Jorginho had given the Blues a late lead from the spot.

United are bidding to complete only a second Premier League double over Chelsea, after beating the Blues home and away in 2019/20. That season marked our last Stamford Bridge win and was one of just six we’ve managed in total there since the competition was rebranded in 1992.

FORM GUIDE

The result at Brentford was a blow, considering the positive scorelines for Aston Villa and Tottenham in the Champions League race. United now sit 11 points behind the former and eight points off the latter and, even though fifth place could still be enough to secure a place in Europe’s top competition, time is running out to make up the gap on those sides.

Chelsea face a battle to even be involved in European football at all next season, but they do have at least one game in hand on the teams above them in the table. Although Pochettino’s men are unbeaten in five matches since a 4-2 home reverse to Wolves in early February, only two of those games have been won (away to Crystal Palace (A) and at home to Newcastle).

ONE TO WATCH

There has been plenty of upheaval at Chelsea over the past two seasons but Cole Palmer surely has a case for being the best Blues signing of the post-Roman Abramovich era. The Manchester City Academy graduate netted in the reverse fixture – one of 13 strikes he has to his name in just 24 top-flight appearances this term.

Palmer, who was given an England debut by Gareth Southgate in the autumn, has already racked up 21 goal involvements in the division, joining Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa in a select group of players to register 20+ for Chelsea.

WHO ELSE IS PLAYING?

There’s a full programme of Premier League action, starting with five fixtures on Tuesday evening…

TUESDAY 2 APRIL

Newcastle v Everton (19:30 BST)
Nottingham Forest v Fulham (19:30 BST)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (19:45 BST)
Burnley v Wolves (19:45 BST)
West Ham v Tottenham (20:15 BST)

WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL

Arsenal v Luton (19:30 BST)
Brentford v Brighton (19:30 BST)
Manchester City v Aston Villa (20:15 BST)

THURSDAY 4 APRIL

Liverpool v Sheffield United (19:30 BST)
Chelsea v UNITED (20:15 BST)