Chelsea entertain Manchester United tonight in a high-profile contest in the race for Champions League qualification.
The Blues are in the midst of a dismal run, with their only win in the last six matches coming in the FA Cup against Port Vale, and that has seen them slip down to sixth in the Premier League, four points adrift of the top five.
Liam Rosenior’s side are quickly losing credit with supporters, who will protest against the club’s ownership outside Stamford Bridge pre-match, and he can ill afford to miss out on a Champions League berth as he plans for next term.
A humbling 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City last time out did not help towards that end.
United, meanwhile, were also surprisingly beaten last time out as they hosted relegation-threatened rivals Leeds and shipped a brace from Noah Okafor.
They remain third in the table despite that result, but must finish their season on a high as they look to return to continental competition and Michael Carrick hopes to earn the full-time manager’s job.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Manchester United is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off tonight on Saturday April 18, 2026.
The match will take place at Stamford Bridge in west London.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm BST.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Dom Smith at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs Manchester United team news
Levi Colwill (knee) and Trevoh Chalobah (ankle) are both back in Chelsea training as they continue their recoveries.
Colwill played in an Under-21s match on Friday and will not feature against United, though his fellow centre-back Chalobah could yet be involved.
Elsewhere, captain Reece James remains sidelined along with Jamie Gittens and Filip Jorgensen, though Enzo Fernandez is available again after his club-imposed two-game ban.
United have a defensive injury crisis, with Leny Yoro now sidelined along with Matthijs de Ligt, plus Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire suspended.
It leaves 19-year-old Ayden Heaven as their only available first-team centre-back to face Chelsea.
It is hoped Kobbie Mainoo can return to the side after he missed the Leeds match with a knock, though the game comes too soon for Patrick Dorgu.
Chelsea vs Manchester United prediction
Chelsea never quite looked like scoring as Pep Guardiola’s imperious City visited Stamford Bridge last week, despite Rosenior naming a strong side. That will be cause for concern as squad morale appears to be plummeting.
In defeat by Leeds, though, United showed sustained threat, even if their clinical edge was rather lacking. Bruno Fernandes is in fine form, as are his forward team-mates Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha.
The only strike against Carrick on Monday night was the decision to start Benjamin Sesko in place of Bryan Mbeumo. Get his selection right at Stamford Bridge, though, and he can be confident of taking three points back up north.
Manchester United to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This storied rivalry always seems to produce drama. Its last six instances alone have produced 22 goals.
Chelsea wins: 57
Manchester United wins: 82
Draws: 55
Chelsea vs Manchester United match odds
Chelsea to win: 11/10
Manchester United to win: 12/5
Draw: 27/10
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
