Chelsea vs. Manchester United: 5 Reasons to Watch Sunday's Match

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Manchester United comes to Stamford Bridge this Sunday for the return bout against their rivals to the south, Chelsea.

Over the last decade, this game has been one game that fans from both sides mark on their calendars when the schedule is released. The last seven Premier League trophies have been won by one of these two sides, with United having the slight edge of four to three in titles.

However, this year the title implications only fall to one side as Chelsea have found themselves well off the pace of league leaders Manchester City. United, on the other hand, is level on points and with City hosting Fulham the day before, a win will be a must to keep pace assuming City handle their opponents.

So while this year’s second matchup does not hold the kind of weight in regards to silverware as previous ones, it will still be an exciting and entertaining contest to look forward to.

Here are five reasons why you should tune in for another installment of this recent rivalry.

Always Intense

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Since Chelsea started to establish themselves as pre-eminent side in world football, United have taken exception to the rise.

They have battled on the pitch numerous times and while the “rivalry” itself is no more than a decade old, both sides play as if they were neighbors with a hundred years of successful history behind them. (Check out my article on 10 games that define the rivalry)

Recently, the matches have become even more heated as the personalities on both sides have gotten bigger and more volatile. It really all came to a head in the 2008 Champions League final, which carried over from a postgame scrum between Patrice Evra and, of all people, the Chelsea grounds crew.

But in Moscow, with the highest stakes these two had ever faced each other under, Didier Drogba slapped Nemanja Vidic late into extra time, earning him a straight red card. Since then there has been a tenacity with the way both clubs approach the games, where hard tackles and physical play are common place.

Perhaps Chelsea are not going to help their title chances much with this win, but for them hurting United’s can be just as good. You can be certain they will go all out in hopes of doing just that.

Ryan Bertrand vs. Antonio Valencia

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Chelsea’s tie against Swansea was perhaps the most disappointing result on the season. Not only did they need a very late deflected shot from their right-back to even earn that tie, but Ashley Cole’s continued rash play has earned him his first red card on the season, keeping him out of Sunday’s match.

The fullback issues this season have only been eclipsed by Fernando Torres’ continued struggles, but on Sunday they may be highlighted like never before. Chelsea’s official Twitter account let fans know this morning that Villas-Boas’ options for left-back will either be moving the much-maligned Jose Bosingwa over or giving young Ryan Bertrand his first Premier League start.

While Bertrand has shown promise and is an effective player, it is quite a difficult position to throw the youngster into. He would be going up against United’s in-form right-winger Antonio Valencia. Perhaps no one in the league is currently playing better than the Ecuadorian, who has been a nightmare to defend.

For Chelsea fans, this may be a good bench mark to see where Bertrand is at and how much farther he needs to come before he is ready to figure consistently in the lineup, while United fans must be salivating at the idea of having their best player going up against someone who lacks the critical knowledge that only experience can give you.

The game very well could be won or loss on that flank.

The John Terry Controversy

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Chelsea captain John Terry has always been the heart of the club, but also been the ugly face of it as well. Dating back to his repulsive comments toward American tourists following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Terry has a knack for having a mouth that gets him into trouble.

The latest case stems from a few months ago when Terry allegedly uttered a racial slur at QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. This week the case came down heavy on the England international as he learned he could face criminal charges for the incident and had his captaincy for the Three Lions revoked.

Sunday’s match will be the first time he has played since these developments and it will be interesting to see how it affects his play.

Like I said, this is not foreign terrain for Terry, and in all honesty he generally meets this self-inflicted adversity pretty well. After the allegations came forward in late October, Terry played some of his best ball of the season.

He will surely have to be on his absolute best come Sunday if Chelsea want any hope of winning. With what will surely be a make-shift back line due to the absence of Cole, Terry will have to keep them organized and strong.

Thankfully the match will be at Stamford Bridge, so the jeers will be limited. However, I doubt that would have bother him anyway. But you can rest assure that all pregame talk and analysis will be centered around this situation.

The Managerial Battle

Both managers are well known around the world. One for being the most successful mangers in the history of the game and the other for being the most hyped-up in the history of the game.

When the two met the first time back in September, Ferguson was the clear winner. Though both sides had their chances, it was Fergie’s Red Devils who put them away and left more on the field. Villas-Boas was completely and utterly outdueled by a much more experienced and intuitive man.

You would have thought the loss would have been a jarring and eye-opening experience for the young Portuguese boss that perhaps his precious high defensive line 4-3-3 formation was not invincible. However, two dozen games removed from that first defeat, he is still trying to make it work.

Villas-Boas has altered some things here and there and made minor tweaks that have made them a bit more effective, but the real test will come this Sunday whether he is the great tactical genius we were told he was or just novice.

For Fergie it remains just another game in the rivalry and a must-win to strengthen United's title hopes. But for Villas-Boas it means a great deal more.

Villas-Boas has had a tough first year in charge. The results have not been anywhere near expectations, Torres is still struggling, and the fans are becoming split on their prospects about the club's future. He only has one noteworthy win under his belt, and that was against a man down Manchester City side at home.

There is little to do in way of salvaging the season in terms of silverware, but a resounding victory on Sunday in front of the home crowd could turn fans back to his side. But it must be a victory where that is reflected not only in the scoreboard, but in the run of play according to his game plan.

What Will Fernando Torres Do?

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It has dominated the Chelsea talk for over a year now—will Fernando Torres ever live up to expectations?

The anniversary of what has been the worst transfer in Premier League history passed a three days ago and there is little sign that that label will be taken down no time soon.

The stats have been well documented and criticized—five goals in 44 matches—but the nature of the game allows for almost instant redemption. This will be what Torres goes for on Sunday.

We all remember their first match up in September when Torres gave Chelsea their first goal just after the break to put some life into the team. The whole day he had played well and finally fans thought the return was upon us. It seemed all but certain that we would walk away from that game discussing for the first time since he arrived how Fernando Torres was the best player in blue, but then came that howling miss near the end. Just like that it was all ruined.

Torres is not in good form. He was horrid against Swansea, unable to get a meaningful shot on goal against a defense that is clearly inferior.

But Torres seems to raise his game somewhat against United. With Didier Drogba still away in Africa, there will be no one on the bench to rescue Torres or Villas-Boas from the potential of dropped points.

This game will be a polarizing event for Torres. If Chelsea wins, there is a good chance Torres will be involved in the victory. If they lose, there is just as likely a chance he will be ineffective and the same player we have seen for a year now.

Why Will You Be Watching?

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Why will you tune in Sunday for the game? Are you a diehard fan of either side? Do you just enjoy the game? Are you trying to find some filler before you head out to you get into Super Bowl mode?

Go ahead and give me your thoughts on these reasons and any others you may have!

 

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