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Manchester United and Chelsea approaching Champions League D-Day
The Red Devils and the Blues are back in Premier League action after their memorable FA Cup semi-final
Manchester United and Chelsea must turn their focus back to the Premier League—and to the race for the Champions League—after their FA Cup semi-final showdown at Wembley on Sunday.
The Red Devils, favourites ahead of the meeting after their excellent recent run of form, were found wanting on the big day, falling to an unexpected 3-1 defeat that sent Frank Lampard’s side into the final, where they will meet London rivals Arsenal.
United—and particularly David de Gea—must now pick themselves up for the visit of West Ham United on Wednesday, while Chelsea are away at champions Liverpool looking to get over the line in the race for the top four.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, drastic improvement is needed.
They have been the in-form team of the top flight since lockdown, but they’ve faded in recent weeks, dropping points at the death against Southampton following a lacklustre display, before falling short against Chelsea on Sunday.
Admittedly, there were extenuating circumstances.
Solskjaer trialled a back three against the Blues, but his plans were undone when Eric Bailly was replaced with what appeared to be a serious head injury at the end of the first half.
Similarly, his decision to pair Marcus Rashford alongside Daniel James up top didn’t bear fruit, with the duo struggling to impose themselves on Chelsea’s own back three.
While Brandon Williams and Aaron Wan-Bissaka found themselves pinned back and unable to influence proceedings, Reece James and Marcos Alonso pressed forward, helping Chelsea overload the United defence in the final third.
The Red Devils need improved performances across the board, but not least between the sticks, where De Gea delivered a hapless showing against Chelsea.
He was at fault for allowing Olivier Giroud’s effort to squirm beyond him, and then failed to deal with a low effort from Mason Mount, and was only able to turn the ball into the corner of the United net.
Despite the club’s domestic resurgence, De Gea appeared entirely devoid of confidence and belief…it’s a weakness that West Ham and David Moyes will hope to exploit on Wednesday.
Similarly, it will be fascinating to see how Michail Antonio—with all of his pace, directness and aggressive forward play—can test both De Gea and Harry Maguire, who fared only slightly better than his goalkeeper on Sunday.
Further forward, the Hammers will need to find a way to silence Bruno Fernandes, who was perhaps the only United player who emerged with his reputation intact at the weekend…even though he too is appearing increasingly jaded.
Wednesday 22 July: SuperSport Fixtures
Manchester United vs West Ham (Premier League)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (Premier League)
Inter Milan vs Fiorentina (Serie A)
Also on Wednesday, Chelsea are away at the champions, and Lampard will be keen for his side to build on his encouraging showing against United.
Leading the line, Giroud led the line with aplomb, demonstrating intelligence and the kind of physicality that will test Liverpool’s centre-backs.
Elsewhere, Mateo Kovacic and Mount appear to be ending the season strongly, while the likes of Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic and Pedro represent menacing options off the bench.
Liverpool’s season is in danger of petering out, with the champions having taken just one point from their last two matches.
The 1-1 draw with Burnley and the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal ended their hopes of breaking Manchester City’s record points tally, and has prompted suggestions of a lack of focus—despite Jurgen Klopp’s assurances to the contrary.
Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson are injured for the Reds, while Dejan Lovren and James Milner are doubts.
For Chelsea, Fikayo Tomori and Billy Gilmour are both injured, while N’Golo Kante is unlikely to be risked, as he continues his comeback from a fitness concern.
Regardless of the result on Wednesday, after the match Liverpool will be presented with the Premier League trophy, having ended their three-decade wait to be named champions of England.
"It's been a really long run-up to this,” Klopp told journalists. “We have been champions for a month now.
"It's a bit like Christmas - you know you're getting a specific present but you are still excited,” he added.
"It will be special. I'm absolutely delighted the boys have this moment.
"They deserve it more than anyone because there were so many setbacks they have dealt with."
Over in Italy, SuperSport are delighted to present three live Serie A matches on Wednesday evening, with Internazionale’s meeting with Fiorentina the pick of the bunch.
Antonio Conte’s side is eight points behind leaders Juve with four matches to play, and while the gap may appear significant, the Nerazzurri can take some confidence from their rivals’ patchy form.
Juve may have defeated Lazio 2-1 on Monday to avoid more lost points, but they’ve taken just two draws from their previous three matches, and Inter can heap more pressure on their foe with a victory against Fiorentina.
Inter will be without Stefano Sensi and Matias Vecino, but it will be fascinating to see how La Viola deal with the duel threats of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
Elsewhere, Parma face Napoli, while bottom club SPAL host AS Roma, aiming to halt their run of five consecutive defeats.
