Chelsea secured their second successive victory at home to Leicester City last time out, with Antonio Conte's men running out 3-0 winners against the champions. The Blues were excellent in their new 3-4-3 formation, with David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta forming a three-man backline which played a big part in their team's second straight clean sheet, and fully deserved all three points after their most impressive performance of the campaign. Chelsea have recovered from the blip which saw them lose back-to-back matches against Liverpool and Arsenal last month, and are now just three points behind Manchester City at the summit of the standings.
Manchester United did not pick up all three points in their last outing, although the vast majority of people associated with the club would have been pleased with the goalless draw they secured against Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night. Mourinho shut the game down from the first whistle, ceding possession and instructing his side to play long balls forward in order to bypass their opponents' high press, with the Reds prevented from ever get into their rhythm in an attacking sense. United remain in touch at the top despite collecting only two points from the last six on offer: a win this weekend would lift them above Chelsea and into the top six.
The hosts could welcome back captain John Terry for this encounter, but Cesc Fabregas looks set to miss out with a muscle issue. Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses will continue at wing-back, with N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic Conte's favoured options in the centre of the park, while Willian could return on the right flank after a spell of compassionate leave following the death of his mother.
United will be unable to call upon the services of defender Phil Jones, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan is available for selection once more following a thigh injury. Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini all turned in disciplined displays against Liverpool and could be included in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge for the same reason, although Mourinho may be tempted to introduce Anthony Martial (if fit) or Jesse Lingard on one of the flanks to give his side more of a threat on the counter-attack.
Taking everything into account, it could be worth backing a score draw between Chelsea and Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. Mourinho will again look to keep things tight and make things difficult for his former club, but Conte will be confident that his side have enough quality to break down a resilient opposition outfit. A 1-1 draw could therefore be the way to go in this one, with the in-form Diego Costa - who has found the back of the net on seven occasions in his eight Premier League appearances in 2016/17 - the obvious choice to score the first goal of the game.
.png)
