This is a Chelsea predicted lineup for their Premier League clash with Manchester United on November 3. The Blues need to bounce back after a midweek defeat against Newcastle and will be aiming to put a run of results together in the league after a recent defeat to Liverpool. This will be an interesting tie as United are currently between managers, meaning they’ll be more unpredictable than usual.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United for Premier League Clash
How Chelsea Have Lined Up Recently
Enzo Maresca has made some interesting decisions in recent weeks with both Reece James and Malo Gusto swapping wings to play at right-back and left-back, this has relegated Marc Cucurella to the back-up for that spot with James looking like the first-choice on the left now after Gusto’s underperformance there. Axel Disasi has been used as a backup right-back.
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In the heart of the defence Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana are the primary pairing with Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo filling in when needed.
Robert Sanchez remains the number one option between the sticks despite some mistakes. His replacement Filip Jorgensen hasn’t set the world on fire in either cup or European appearances so far.
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There’s been a change in midfield with Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo emerging as the number one pairing at the base of midfield with Enzo Fernandez rotating in alongside Renato Veiga or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Veiga is a real swiss-army knife having played left-back, midfield, and centre-back so far this season.
Dewsbury-Hall was trialled as a right-winger against Newcastle but that failed experiment will likely see Noni Madueke secure his spot as the starting winger on that side. Cole Palmer and Joao Felix share the minutes as the number ten while Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Neto, and Jadon Sancho have started on the left.
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Nicolas Jackson has hit the ground running to start the campaign and looks absolutely undroppable. Christopher Nkunku has filled in when the Senegal man is rested and has notched some goals but looked out of sorts in midweek, indicating that he may not be natural as a lone striker.
Chelsea Recent Form and Tactics
Enzo Maresca is tied to his 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 setup which inverts one full-back and allows a midfielder to move up. The shape then depends on the opponent with a 3-3-4 being used at times against Panathinaikos and a 3-2-4-1 being used against others. With James potentially inverting from the left he’s got a lot of the field to play long-passes into which has facilitated the dropping of Fernandez for the more physical Lavia.
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Chelsea’s big issue continued to be their goalkeeping/defending. They let Newcastle score two easy goals in midweek and shipped two against Liverpool, who could’ve scored even more. It’s not been seven outings since their last clean sheet which was against lower-league Barrow. Thankfully, the goalscoring form of Palmer and Jackson has offset this, but this is something that will have to be solved if the Blues aim to kick on and succeed this season.
Chelsea Absences to Consider
Sancho missed the last outing due to illness and would’ve been sidelined anyway as Manchester United is his parent club.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United
GK – Robert Sanchez
LB – Reece James
CB – Levi Colwill
CB – Wesley Fofana
RB – Malo Gusto
DM – Romeo Lavia
DM/CM – Moises Caicedo
CM/AM – Cole Palmer
W – Pedro Neto
W – Noni Madueke
ST – Nicolas Jackson
