4 hours ago
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Who: Manchester United vs Chelsea
What: English Premier League
Where: Old Trafford successful Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, August 20, astatine 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 2:30pm (13:30 GMT) successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said talks this week with the club’s co-owner Jim Ratcliffe was not a situation gathering contempt a mediocre commencement to the season.
United person taken conscionable 4 points from their opening 4 Premier League games and were dumped retired of the League Cup successful embarrassing manner by fourth-tier Grimsby.
Now they look the FIFA Club World Cup winners, Chelsea, successful a stern trial successful beforehand of their ain fans astatine Old Trafford connected Saturday.
Amorim has won conscionable 8 of his 31 Premier League matches since taking complaint successful November, but the erstwhile Sporting Lisbon brag said Ratcliffe reassured him that United stay committed to a semipermanent project.
“A caller contract,” Amorim joked erstwhile asked astir the taxable of his gathering with British billionaire Ratcliffe.
“No, it is mean things, conscionable to amusement the enactment and explaining that it is simply a agelong project.”
United finished 15th successful the Premier League past play – their lowest last presumption successful the top-flight since 1973-74 – and blew a accidental to suffice for the Champions League erstwhile they mislaid the Europa League last to Tottenham.
Despite the dismal results, Amorim reiterated his content that United are improving and conscionable request to beryllium much ruthless astatine some ends of the pitch.
“This is shot astatine the nine with possibly much unit successful the world, but we privation to win,” helium added.
“I deliberation past twelvemonth I was precise captious of the mode we play. I deliberation we are playing good until the boxes, defending and attacking, we request to beryllium much assertive successful the boxes. We request to beryllium much clinical.
“The rest, I deliberation we are improving compared to past year, I deliberation we are successful a amended place. But again, we request to win, we mislaid against Arsenal and [Manchester] City, and here, losing, particularly successful the opening aft past season, is simply a problem.”
This weekend's offering 🫴 pic.twitter.com/Orqb1zOS6I
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 19, 2025
Never a bully clip to look Man Utd for Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca faces the daunting task of ending a 12-year drought astatine Old Trafford, with the Italian insisting connected Friday that determination is ne'er a bully clip to look them contempt their early-season struggles.
Chelsea person not tasted triumph astatine United successful the Premier League since Juan Mata’s precocious victor successful May 2013, portion the fixture holds the unwelcome favoritism of being the astir drawn brushwood successful Premier League history, with 27 stalemates.
While fifth-placed Chelsea are hoping to widen their unbeaten league commencement to 5 games, United are 14th with 1 win, but Maresca is wary of the menace posed by Ruben Amorim’s side, who are smarting from their 3-0 play derby defeat.
“It’s ever hard to play United distant astatine Old Trafford. Now is not the close moment, adjacent twelvemonth oregon past year, it’s ever difficult,” Maresca told reporters successful beforehand of Saturday’s game.
“Some of the games they person played this play are not the existent result. Even the Man City game, until 1-0, 2-0, they were successful the game. At 0-0, they had a fewer chances to score. It volition beryllium a pugnacious game, nary doubt.
“When you struggle, there’s a tendency to triumph the adjacent game. Against Chelsea, astatine home, successful beforehand of their fans, they are each reasons wherefore this crippled is important for them.”
One Chelsea subordinate who knows Old Trafford good is Alejandro Garnacho, and Maresca said the 40 cardinal pounds ($54m) signing is acceptable to commencement aft coming disconnected the seat successful their erstwhile 2 matches.
“In the past 2 games, helium was precise bully erstwhile helium came on. We’re blessed with the mode he’s adapting to our benignant and what we privation from the winger. I deliberation helium is acceptable to start,” Maresca said.
Garnacho besides has a constituent to beryllium aft the Argentinian was 1 of 5 players frozen retired of Amorim’s squad earlier his departure, and Maresca said the subordinate would person to support his emotions successful cheque if United fans springiness him a pugnacious time.
“It’s ever hard … But you person to larn to grip these things,” Maresca added.
Manchester United squad news
Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha are some disposable again for United pursuing injuries.
Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot some stay sidelined with knocks.
Chelsea squad news
Cole Palmer is disposable contempt the England planetary holding his groin successful Wednesday’s Champions League nonaccomplishment to Bayern Munich. Palmer made his archetypal commencement aft a groin wounded and scored successful the 3-1 defeat.
“Cole is OK. We person a league now, we flew backmost yesterday [Thursday]. We request to measure immoderate players; we person immoderate doubts,” Maresca said. “We didn’t person a league since Wednesday’s game, but we volition see.”
Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended for the crippled aft being charged by the Football Association for an alleged doping offence. Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo each miss retired done injuries.
Predicted Manchester United starting lineup
Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Amad; Sesko
Predicted Chelsea starting lineup
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
English (US) ·