Holders, Chelsea, host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening in the last of the FA Cup fifth-round ties. With many of the Premier League’s big guns exiting the competition in the earlier rounds and a place in the FA Cup quarter-final at stake, the winner of this mouth-watering clash will have a great chance of adding yet another FA Cup win to their respective trophy cabinet.
In what is a repeat of last year’s final, Manchester United arrive in London as one the country’s most in-form teams. Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho, United have climbed from sixth to fourth in the Premier League and dumped Arsenal out of the FA Cup fourth round, away at the Emirates.
In contrast, Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri, is coming under increasing pressure after some disastrous recent performances. The Blues’ last domestic game was their humiliating 6-0 league at the hands of Manchester City. Although Chelsea are currently sat sixth in the Premier League, they remain in contention for a cup-treble of FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
Team News
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marcos Alonso both sat out Chelsea’s recent Europa League win at Malmo but are both in contention to start on Monday evening.
United meanwhile have been handed a double attacking blow. Both Anthony Martial (groin) and Jesse Lingard (hamstring) will miss out thanks to the injuries they sustained in last week’s loss to Paris Saint Germain. Their absence could increase the pressure on United’s mis-firing duo, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
Chilean, Sanchez, was immensely disappointing from the bench in that defeat to PSG and the former Arsenal forward has been widely criticised for his underwhelming start to his Manchester United career. Sanchez has claimed “I would like to have brought more joy to the club. Yes, it worries me because I believe in my abilities as a player, I want to show it.”
A potential lengthy spell on the sidelines for Martial and/or Lingard may well see Sanchez finally get an extended run in the first team. Lukaku, forced to play second fiddle to Rashford in recent weeks for the one centre forward berth, has an impressive FA Cup pedigree. The Belgian has scored 13 goals in 15 FA Cup matches since coming to England as a teenager.
That defeat to PSG was Solskjaer’s first since taking charge at Manchester United. Ahead of the meeting with Chelsea, the Norwegian has insisted his side will bounce back.
The Manchester United caretaker manager explained, “You have to bounce back at this club. You’ll always have challenges, and away against Chelsea is one of the tougher challenges. We know there was a spell against PSG – seven, eight, nine or 10 minutes – where we lost our way a bit. But apart from that, we weren’t too bad defensively.”
He added, “We need to keep working on the way we want to play football – the way we approach the games will always be in an attacking, positive mind.”
Head to Head
Manchester United may be two places above Chelsea in the Premier League table and boast a superior record in the FA Cup but it is the Blues that have the edge in recent head-to-head meetings. Chelsea beat United at Wembley in last season’s FA Cup final, further extending their unbeaten run in cup competitions against the Red Devils.
Manchester United have not beaten Chelsea in any domestic cup competition since claiming a 1-0 League Cup win back in December 2002. In their last 17 meetings, Chelsea have won 9, drawn 6 and lost just twice.
Match Odds
Chelsea – 103/100
Draw – 49/20
Manchester United – 53/20
Big Chance of Success
Manchester City have made it through to the competition’s quarter final from the so-called ‘Big Six’. The other remaining participants in this season’s FA Cup include Premier League sides, Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Watford as well as Swansea City and Millwall from the Championship.
The winner of Monday’s meeting at Stamford Bridge will, along with Manchester City, be the two hotly fancied teams left in the FA Cup, further emphasising the importance of Monday’s game for both teams.
Only Arsenal’s record of 13 FA Cup wins can eclipse the impressive hauls of FA Cup triumphs for these pair. Manchester United have won 12 times whilst Chelsea have won 8. Under Solskjaer, United aim to match Arsenal’s haul of 13 wins. They can also move ahead of Arsenal with a record 21st FA Cup final appearance, both clubs are currently tied on 20 finals.
Solskjaer aims to become the first person to have won the FA Cup as both a player and manager since Roberto Di Matteo achieved the feat in caretaker charge of Chelsea.
Here are InterBet’s latest outright FA Cup odds ahead of Monday’s game.
Manchester City – Evens
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 13/2
Chelsea – 13/2
Manchester United – 8/1
Crystal Palace – 9/1
Watford – 12/1
Brighton & Hove Albion – 16/1
Swansea City – 66/1
Millwall – 66/1
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