Can Man United Up Their Game For Chelsea?

Just a few weeks after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United’s arch rivals Manchester City, Chelsea are now tasked with taking on the Red Devils on 26th October.

It was a controversial match up back in early September, particularly for one world class player, Frank Lampard. The 36-year-old is currently on loan to Manchester City before he moves onto pastures new with New York City FC, and he reminded Jose Mourinho just what he was missing when he scored Manchester City’s last minute equaliser against Chelsea on 21st September.

Indeed, Romelu Lukaku set the tone for what was to be an exciting game, but the Blues couldn’t manage to score their much-desired three points.

A wound to Jose Mourinho’s pride was the biggest casualty of the game however – the Blues continue to be top of the league, which, given the current standings, should make the upcoming match a walk in the park for Chelsea. Manchester United on the other hand currently sit in 12th place after a string of awkward losses and draws, despite one 4-0 victory over Queen’s Park Rangers on 14th September.

The Premier League as it stands puts all eyes on Chelsea to beat Manchester United, but this season has not been without its fair share of surprises. Indeed, despite Louis van Gaal’s dreams of a “new era,” Swansea City managed to leave a few jaws dropping as they defeated the Red Devils 2-1 on the opening day of the Premier League season.

Later, Manchester United failed to beat what should have been easy rivals, Sunderland and Burnley, setting the tone for what could be a very bleak season for Louis van Gaal. Over on the Chelsea side however, the only potential surprise was that they failed to beat a team, albeit the winners of last year’s Premier League.

It could be a sign of things to come for Jose Mourinho’s 11 as they prepare to take on their next rivals. They also recently failed to beat Schalke 04 in the Champions League group stage, walking away with the same score as their Manchester City match, 1-1.

Could this be the start of a string of single point games for The Blues? It’s certainly the best hope that Manchester United could have in the current state, but with their current 13 points, there’s no reason for Jose Mourinho to sweat just yet.