Manchester United vs. Chelsea: Complete Preview, Start Time and Schedule

Manchester United and Chelsea will meet in a clash of Barclays Premier League titans on Sunday. Both clubs have started off the season in tremendous form and find themselves at or near the top of the league table.

The Red Devils have ridden a blaze of new energy and young talent to a fearless (and perfect) beginning, picking up 12 points while outscoring their opponents by an incredible 15 goals. The Blues, on the other hand, have been anything but slouches, notching three victories and a draw in four matches, albeit with an aging starting XI.

The last time these two sides met, Man U essentially clinched their 19th Premier League title with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, sending Chelsea to a second-place finish in the league table.

The implications of this match aren't quite so dire, given that it will be only the fifth of the 2011-12 season for each. The result, however, may well go a long way toward affecting how the table shakes out down the line. Either way, be sure to tune in for an exciting fixture between two of the top football clubs in the world.

Where: Old Trafford in Manchester, England

When: Sunday, September 18th at 11:00 AM EDT

Watch: FOX Soccer, Sky Sports HD1

Player to Watch for Manchester United: Wayne Rooney

Rooney has been nothing short of brilliant in the early going of the EPL campaign, playing like a man whose hair is on fire, presumably because he finally has hair. The star striker for Manchester United has already logged eight goals in four fixtures, with hat tricks against Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers.

Rooney has performed well against Chelsea in the past. Most recently, he scored the lone goal of the Red Devils' match against the Blues in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Stamford Bridge this past April.

Chelsea's recent acquisition of Islam Feruz, the "Scottish Wayne Rooney", may lend "Wazza" additional motivation to remind all imitators that he is, indeed, the real McCoy. 

Player to Watch for Chelsea: Daniel Sturridge

The dark cloud hanging over the head of Fernando Torres has given way to the silver lining of Daniel Sturridge. Chelsea's £50 million man has hardly acquitted himself well since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Liverpool in January, managing only one goal in 18 appearances with the blues.

Not that Chelsea need be too worried, thanks to the emergence of Sturridge. The 22-year-old England international was dynamic in his debut back with the Blues, scoring on a clever back-heel in the 50th minute of Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Sturridge spent the last half of the 2010-11 season on loan with Bolton Wanderers and sat out the first three matches of the new campaign on account of a red card he acquired in his last game with the Trotters.  

With Didier Drogba expected to sit out Sunday's match while recovering from the concussion he suffered against Norwich City and Torres doing little to endear himself to his teammates (see below), look for Sturridge to figure prominently into the outcome for Chelsea. 

Key Matchup: Sir Alex Ferguson vs. Andre Villas-Boas

Sunday's showdown will feature a meeting of the minds between Fergie and the new "Special One." Sir Alex's resume needs little introduction, with 12 EPL championships, five FA Cups, four Carling Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles to his credit, all while building and rebuilding his roster, turning out talismans with alarming ease.

Villas-Boas is no slouch, having done well to re-energize an aging Chelsea side with younger talent in his first season in the Premiership.

The edge here undoubtedly belongs to Fergie, a man whose forgotten more about the game of football than Villas-Boas has ever known, though this match will be an excellent opportunity for the 33-year-old Portuguese manager to show that he belongs in the world's most competitive football league. 

What They're Saying:

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck could, theoretically, be fit in time to return against Chelsea. The 20-year-old England international suffered a hamstring injury during the Red Devils' 8-2 romp over Arsenal and was expected to sit out for a month, if not longer. However, Fergie revealed last week that Welbeck's recovery has been much more expedient than expected:

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"Danny is making good progress,'' said Ferguson. "The injury is not as bad as we thought and he should be training next week.''

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Fit or not, Welbeck will not likely play for Man U at Benfica on Wednesday, though his status for Sunday's match against the Blues has yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have run into a spot of trouble with misfit striker Fernando Torres. According to ESPN Soccernet, the club are investigating an interview in which Torres allegedly tore into his "older" teammates for being "very slow." Said Villas-Boas of the situation:

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"We are going in-depth to regain the tape of that interview. We'll see if things play exactly as they are in that interview. We want to go in-depth a bit more. Anyhow, it's one player's perspective. I don't think it's a perspective that the manager shares. I don't have to share my players' ideas sometimes." 

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As much as Villas-Boas may want to simply brush this distraction aside, the Chelsea boss won't likely take kind to Torres' criticism, especially with the Spanish talisman already stuck in the proverbial doghouse due to poor performance.

Score Prediction:

Manchester United 2, Chelsea 1

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