Turning the corner

 After a dreadful start to their Premier League campaign Manchester United head into their fixture with Chelsea this weekend full of confidence.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under intense scrutiny for his teams start, losing two of its first three EPL fixtures, conceding 11 goals in those matches.

Since they took a 6-1 hammering against Tottenham though the team has been singing a different tune.

The Reds are coming off a resilient 4-1 win over Newcastle last weekend and followed it up with a 2-1 win over PSG on matchday one of the Champions League.

Mixed bag

 Both Chelsea and United have had a mix of success and failure so far this season.

Frank Lampard’s men settled for a goalless draw with Sevilla on matchday one of their Champions League draw.

In league play, they got victories against Brighton and Crystal Palace, while also losing at home to Liverpool.

United had two difficult defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham and was fortunate to get a last-second win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Chelsea currently sits in 8^th, seven places, and two points clear of Man United who does have a game in hand.

Injury news

 For the Red Devils, there are a lot of question marks.

Eric Bailly has a muscle injury and will miss at least three to four weeks as a result.

Skipper Harry Maguire missed the Champions League encounter with PSG as his status for Saturday remains uncertain.

The fitness of Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, and Jess Lingard is still up in the air.

Anthony Martial will serve the second game of his three-match ban after his red card against Spurs.

Hakim Ziyech is now fully recovered and fit to play for the Blues while midfielder Billy Gilmour is the main injury concern for Lampard.

What to watch for

 Chelsea was probably the busiest English club during the summer transfer window.

The Blues spent over £224 million combined on Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Edouard Mendy.

They did get a bargain in the experienced centre-back Thiago Silva who came on a free transfer fee.

Chelsea’s mission is to get back to the top but so far this season the newcomers have struggled to find chemistry with their new teammates.

The Blues are a team with a wealth of offensive threats.

Midfielder Jorginho is quick and dynamic and already leads the team in scoring with three goals from four matches.

Timo Werner can score and be the provider upfront with two goals and an assist so far this season.

The transfer from RB Leipzig scored 34 goals last season in just 45 appearances.

Even with the firepower they possess, they’re a team that likes to pass the ball around in midfield.

World Cup winner N’Golo Kante is perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the game, who’s size and strength is deceiving.

His work ethic and ability to win challenges all over the pitch is invaluable.

The Blues are third in goals this season with 13 and second is passes with over three thousand already.

Conversely United likes to transition quickly from midfield to attack led by Bruno Fernandes.

Paul Pogba will be counted on to match his French counterpart Kante in midfield and try and win some of those key battles in the middle of the park.

Struggles at Home

 Manchester United has been a disaster this season at Old Trafford.

The club has yet to win at home in two games this season, conceding 9 goals in the process.

United hasn’t won a game at home since they beat Bournemouth 5-2 on July 4.

Head to Head

 The last time these teams met was in the FA Cup last season where Chelsea scored a 3-1 win.

United have won three of the last four games against their London rivals.

Overall United’s won 81 matches against Chelsea and lost 55.

Game Info

 Chelsea and United will face each other at 5:30 pm Saturday from Old Trafford.

It’s United’s third match in the span of a week. (JSL)