So, Manchester United finally lost a game under Norwegian tactician Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when they came up against PSG in the Champions League. Up until that moment, the team looked far much comfortable even managing to come out on top against sterner teams like Arsenal and Tottenham. The loss to PSG was just a wake-up call to Ole Gunnar and his charges that nothing can be taken to chance.
They now have another tough task ahead of them when they come up against Chelsea in the FA Cup come Monday. Chelsea has not had it easy either, especially after they suffered a humiliating 6 -0 defeat to Manchester City. Though they did manage to win their Europa League match against Malmo, the team still doesn’t look as comfortable.
The FA Cup match pitting these two giants will be a chance for both teams to show their respective fan base that all is still well. A win for United will mean that the loss against PSG was just a blip and not a sign of things to come. Chelsea, on the other hand, will want to rectify their image after heavy losses to Bournemouth and Manchester City respectively.
Fans will expect an end-to-end game that’s full of excitement and goals. Whoever wins this game will be seen as serious contenders for the cup by their fans.
Here are some of the battles that will most likely decide the outcome of this game.
#1 Paul Pogba vs N’Golo Kante
Paul Pogba has been on great form since the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Manchester United boss. If the Red Devils are to come out of this match with a win, then Paul Pogba will have a huge role to play in this fixture. He has been involved in scoring and creating chances for his teammates in his new role, a role that he looks he was made for.
The player that will be most likely tasked with keeping him in check is none other than N’Golo Kante. Due to how Pogba has been playing under Ole Gunnar, Kante is the one that will likely take him on since he’s always moving. On paper, and on current form, Pogba looks like he may just have an edge over Kante, but that’s a battle neither will want to lose.
This battle will be of utmost importance as both teams will expect their man to come out on top in this French battle in the middle of the park. Kante will want to channel his old self to ensure that he stops his marauding French teammate.
#2 Gonzalo Higuaín vs Victor Lindelof
Gonzalo Higuaín has started his Chelsea career as well as the team would have expected him to when they got him. He already has three goals to his name which is not a bad feat considering that those have come in just five games for the Blues.
Against United, he will want to repay the faith Sarri has in him with a goal or just a great performance. A goal would be great as strikers are usually judged by them.
The man that he will come up against is Manchester United’s Swedish defender Victor Lindelof. Victor Lindelof has had a change in fortunes since the appointment of Ole Gunnar as Manchester United boss and will want to continue that feat against Chelsea.
As much as there have been major improvements in Lindelof’s game, against PSG it showed that United are still short a central defender or two. But until they are able to address that, Victor Lindelof will continue to be the trusted center back in the team.
With Higuaín wanting to score and Lindelof eager to keep a clean sheet, this will surely be a battle worth watching out for.
#3 Marcus Rashford vs David Luiz
Another battle that is worth checking out is the one that will be between Marcus Rashford and David Luiz. David Luiz has not quite covered himself in glory this season, but that can be said of all Chelsea defenders; none of them has particularly stood out.
On the other hand, Marcus Rashford is having his best season since his breakthrough season. He has been so integral to his team that he has been keeping £75 million striker Romelu Lukakuon the bench. That’s the kind of talent that David Luiz is likely to come up against in the FA Cup tie against United.
Rashford is not a player that will stick around the opposition’s box throughout the game; he will want to drag his marker all around the field. If David Luiz isn’t careful he’ll be dragged out of position by the young Mancunian and leave his team exposed to attack from United runners from deep.
Also, when the Brazilian is on Rashford patrol, he’ll need to be watchful to not concede free kicks around his team’s box as Rashford has proven to be deadly on free kicks. Luiz is not known for his positional prowess but will want to play this game with the experience that befits his age.
#4 Ander Herrera Vs Eden Hazard
It was bound to come up, wasn’t it? Another battle that will pit Ander Herrera against Eden Hazard will be the one that will be most watched as everyone wants to see who comes out on top this time.
Ander Herrera once managed to put in a great shift against Eden Hazard for Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar will have taken note of that. Hazard is by far Chelsea’s most influential player and if United are to come out on top they will need someone to take a close look at him. If not, they might just get railroaded by the talented Belgian.
Ander Herrera is not new to performing the dirty job for the team and if Ole Gunnar wants to mitigate Hazard, he’ll be the man tasked with that job. He will follow Hazard all over the pitch for the entire 90 minutes, shadowing his every move and ensuring that he doesn’t come anywhere near hurting the United defence.
Most fans will want to see how this particular battle will unfold and Eden Hazard will not want to come out second best this time around.
[Sportskeeda]
