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Table-toppers Chelsea are unbeaten in 85 home league games and this weekend they entertain Manchester United, who have won won one of six games this season and lost at the Bridge last season. What could possibly go wrong for the Blues? Everything! Here’s why, according to our hombres at chickendinner:
1. Manchester United have a knack of ending unbeaten runs. They famously ended Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten league run but also stopped Chelsea in November 2005 when they were on a 40-match unbeaten streak. Wayne Rooney also scored the goal that ended Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run in October 2002 for Everton.
2. The Red Devils have followed their last nine league defeats on the road with victory in their next away game.
3. United have only lost at Anfield four times in the Premier League. In three of those four seasons they were also victorious at Stamford Bridge, drawing on the other occasion. Just a coincidence? Perhaps not - United have only won four Premier League games at the Bridge in total.
4. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side haven’t lost consecutive league away games since April 2005 - away to Norwich and Everton.
5. Chelsea were top after four league games last season but lost the fifth against Aston Villa - kicking off a run of four games without a win.
6. This is also the first time since 2005 where the Blues have got through the first eight months of the calendar year without losing. On that occasion, Manchester United stopped them.
7. Chelsea failed to score in either of their two home league games last September and won none of their three home games in all competitions that month.
8. When Manchester United make a shaky start to the season, they tend to turn it around in big games. Last season United hadn’t won any of their first eight games in all competitions by a greater margin than one goal - then they beat Chelsea 2-0. In 2004/05, United won just one of their first five league games but beat Liverpool in the sixth. And in 1996/97, United won just one of their first four then thumped Leeds 4-0 at Elland Road.
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12 responses so far
1 tel // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:01 pm
get a real job your crap at this one.
2 f.....u // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:02 pm
tosser…united shi* as usual
3 Honest Abe // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Wow, Real constructive critism from Chelsea fans?
This website has crappy predictions ALL THE TIME.
Don’t get so emotional =P it’s bad for your blood presure.
4 Nostradamus // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:44 pm
These aren’t statistics, they’re vague coincidences. An astrologist would write more sense about the match outcome than this.
5 Upminster Iron // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Did anyone notice that they got both Liverpool to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to beat Manchester City right last weekend? Or United to draw 0-0 with Villarreal on Wednesday? And all the UEFA Cup outcomes right last night? Be afraid, be very afraid!
6 Luke // Sep 19, 2008 at 5:24 pm
How about some footballing reasons not just facts from the past which have no bearing on sundays game. Rubbish article
7 dan // Sep 19, 2008 at 11:49 pm
How desperate is this article. Show how scared they are of Chelsea. You are gonna get owned.
8 Funny // Sep 20, 2008 at 1:15 am
You have listed 8 reasons why United will beat Chelsea, i will list 8 reasons why Chelsea will beat United:
1. Jose Bosingwa - Quality player, awesome defensively and superb in an attacking sense. Adds a third dimension to our old style of long ball play.
2. Deco - Midfield maestro who definitely allows us more attacking options straight through the centre of the field, brilliant player and one whom United will have to attempt to man mark out of the game.
3. Drogba - The return of Didier could not be more timely and you can rest assured he will be out to make his mark in a match of this magnitude, not only with his long ball style goals but this time with deco and cole feeding him through balls all day long.
4. Nemanja Vidic - Arguably United’s best defender, ferdinand is good but without Vidic covering his errors you might notice alot more opportunities for Drogba.
5. Michael Ballack - Once again another player returning from injury, this time though, a player that has stated his intent to make his mark on the game. Ballack will be rampaging after the ball, not only is he an aerial threat but also a threat with either foot.
6. Christiano Ronaldo - In previous matches Chelsea had to contest with a fully fit, top of his game Ronaldo, this time however Ronaldo will be making potentially his first start of the season and if not then his second substitution.
7. Luis Felipe Scolari - Yes United have Fergie, however, you’ll no doubt have notice Ferguson passing comments all week about any time a chelsea player so much as farts in a public place. This is always deemed to be “Mind games”, but i ask you this, if you were confident of your team beating an opponent would mind games be necessary? Scolari meanwhile has done something Mourinho failed to do, and that is to remain quiet and let your football do the talking.
8. Statistics - Stats mean nothing, it’s meerly a record of history. According to stats Leeds should be one of the most feared teams in Europe nevermind england, so please don’t make articles spouting tripe that bears no relevance to this sundays match. :-)
9 Anxiety // Sep 20, 2008 at 8:02 am
Haha.. i agree with some of the points. United are not at their best right now but it’s about time they need to step up their game. We’ll see what happen this Sunday.
10 IAN // Sep 20, 2008 at 8:44 am
I dont think you have listed any actual reasons why united will bet chelsea. What you have done is listed historical facts. These mean nothing.
11 Big Blue // Sep 20, 2008 at 9:24 am
You mancs are starting to sound like Liverscum sapporters dragging up historical facts in your defence or should I say hope that you are capable of beating Chelsea. Face facts, what goes up always comes down and you are certainlly on the way down as a team. You have nothing more to offer this year bearing in mind that it came down to one premo game and a penalty shoot out last year. Chelsea on the other hand has added flair on the pitch, players to the team and now have a manager that encourages them to be more attacking minded. Heres a fact for you…3 nil to Chelsea.
12 M // Sep 20, 2008 at 11:14 am
Absolute load of twaddle! It’s because my Mrs is having her hair done in the morning before the game. They always win when my Mrs has her hair done before the game and by more goals if it’s on a Sunday.