TheSportsRush brings ‘Stats 1 to 10,’ where we look at the upcoming Premier League game between Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Premier League returns this weekend with an opening fixture between the two giants of English football. Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea will host Mourinho’s men at Stamford Bridge in the Saturday afternoon kick-off.
The two sides have had reversed fortunes, ever since the beginning of the season. Chelsea welcomed a new manager, and the life under Sarri has been an enjoyable one for the fans so far. Chelsea are level on points with league leaders Manchester City, and a unique possession-based football, often called the ‘Sarriball’, has been a viewer’s delight.
Manchester United, however, endured a fair share of controversies off-the-pitch. The tussle between Mourinho and the board, then Mourinho and the players, has marred the football for the Old Trafford faithful. The club is currently 8th in the Premier League with only 13 points. The spirits have hardly dampened, however, as United’s last match before the international break saw Mourinho’s side make a splendid comeback to beat Newcastle at Old Trafford.
TheSportsRush takes a look at stats 1-10, as the two giants meet each other at Stamford Bridge.
Stats 1-10
1 – Manchester United have scored only one goal in Stamford Bridge over the last three seasons. Jesse Lingard scored the goal in the 2015/16 season under Louis van Gaal.
2 – Mourinho has won two and lost two Premier League games against Chelsea since he joined United. Both the wins, however, were at Old Trafford.
3 – Three former Chelsea players might be featuring against the club this weekend – Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic.
4 – Since the turn of the century, only one match has seen a team scoring four goals in this fixture. This happened in 2016 when Conte’s Chelsea crushed United 4-0 in Mourinho’s first game at Stamford Bridge as a United manager.
5 – Chelsea have had five managerial changes since Manchester United last beat them at Stamford Bridge (Roberto de Matteo, Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri). This takes us to the next stat..
6 – It has been six years since United’s last win at Chelsea. The win came under Sir Alex Ferguson. In a highly intense fixture, United emerged 3-2 winners over a nine-man Chelsea side.
7 – Eden Hazard has scored 7 Premier League goals this season so far. The only league match where he didn’t score ended in a 0-0 draw.
8 – While Chelsea are yet undefeated in their 8 games in the Premier League, Manchester United are currently 8th in the league with three losses.
9 – It has been 9 years since a club successfully completed a double over the other in the league. Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea defeated Manchester United in both, the home and away fixture.
10 – Manchester United’s legendary number 10, Wayne Rooney has the most Premier League goals in this fixture (6). However, he’s joint-top with his fellow teammate, Paul Scholes.
