Chelsea will hope to get back to winning ways this weekend when they host Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
After making a few big changes to the squad, Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw against Brentford in their previous outing as the Blues produced a slightly concerning attacking display. It was Chelsea's fifth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions though, with Kepa Arrizabalaga impressing in goal once again under Graham Potter.
Next up for the Blues is Manchester United at home, with the last four meetings between the sides all ending in draws. Thiago Silva is expected to return to the starting XI, with a loss for Chelsea sending them below United and out of the top four.
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So, could Chelsea keep their spot in the top four on Saturday? We simulated the Blues' clash with United to find out. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions
We simulated Chelsea vs Manchester United to get a score prediction
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Chilwell; Sterling, Aubameyang.
We predict that United could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford.
It was a tense start to the game from both sides, with neither team willing to risk pushing forward and being caught on the counter-attack in the opening 20 minutes. The best chance of the first half for Chelsea came after 25 minutes when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tested David De Gea.
Ben Chilwell's out-swinging corner from the left was met by Aubameyang at the near post, with the striker leaping in between his two markers to reach the cross. His header was aimed for the bottom corner, but De Gea was quick across his line to push the effort wide.
As the game went on, Chelsea found themselves falling behind, with United starting to take control of possession and create some good chances. A flurry of chances just before the break saw Antony hit the post, but moments later, Marcus Rashford broke the deadlock.
As United surged forward in numbers, Bruno Fernandes picked out Rashford in the centre of the pitch, and a fantastic first touch saw the striker wrong-foot Thiago Silva and speed through on goal. As Rashford approached the box, the England international opted to shoot from range, with his powerful effort nestling into the far corner.
The goal handed United a deserved lead, and just three minutes later, it went from bad to worse for Chelsea as the visitors doubled their advantage. Diogo Dalot beat Chilwell on the right before drilling a cross into Fernandes, and the midfielder flicked the pass further into the box and into the feet of Sancho.
Unmarked, the winger was able to tap the cross home from close range, sending Chelsea into the break two goals down. In the second half, the Blues failed to create any more major chances as United were unlucky not to score more, with Potter's side falling to a disappointing 2-0 loss
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Chelsea could fall to a defeat against Man United on Saturday if they put in a below-par display, with the Blues falling to a 2-0 defeat in this simulation. Potter's side were poor in front of goal and exposed on both wings, with Reece James' absence having a particularly big impact.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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