Manchester United can claim a place in the top four with a win on Saturday, as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes handed Man United a 2-0 victory in a dominant performance over Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing. It was the perfect response to the stalemate against Newcastle, but Erik ten Hag's side face another tough test away from home, this time to Chelsea.
If United win on Saturday, they will leapfrog the Blues and surge into the Premier League top four. A win would also mean the Reds have won against Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs so far this season. But, the last four meetings between these two sides have ended in draws.
READ MORE: What Erik ten Hag told Manchester United players after beating Tottenham
Christian Eriksen returned to United's squad against Spurs midweek following his illness, whilst Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire have both been ruled out again, meaning the duo join Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek as the only guaranteed absentees.
After walking down the tunnel before the final whistle against Spurs, Cristiano Ronaldo will miss out on the United squad here as punishment.
So, could United carry their momentum into the clash against Chelsea?
We simulated the game 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.
The game started evenly, with both sides seeing equal amounts of the ball with not many major chances being created. Chelsea had their best chance of the first half after 25 minutes, but a fantastic David De Gea save kept the score level.
Ben Chilwell's out-swinging corner from the left was met by Pierre-Emerick 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 approached the halfway mark, United found themselves creating some good chances, with Antony hitting the post with a curling effort from long range. Suddenly United were in control, and Marcus Rashford handed the visitors the lead in the 42nd minute with an outstanding strike.
As United surged forward in numbers, 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, United used the momentum to grab a second as Jadon Sancho found the net. It was the perfect end to the half for United, and once again, Fernandes was the creator.
Diogo Dalot skipped past Ben Chilwell on the right before drilling a cross into Fernandes. As the ball reached the midfielder, he flicked the pass further into the box and into the feet of Sancho, and the winger was able to tap home from close range to send his side into the break two goals ahead.
With a healthy lead, United controlled the second half and easily dealt with any Chelsea advances, seeing out a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Manchester United could continue their impressive form, beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho grabbed the goals in a strong display, as Ten Hag's side were defensively solid once again.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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