Chelsea lost their game at Old Trafford last season despite being in superb form, and Antonio Conte has a lot of thinking to do to avoid a similar fate tomorrow.
Last year Jose Mourinho made it a tight game, and once his side had nicked an early goal his defensive setup made it easy for his team to hold on, with Eden Hazard man marked out of the game by Ander Herrera.
Herrera is out this time, but Mourinho could employ a similar tactic with a different player. This time, however, Conte will be expecting it.
If Hazard is given a man to himself, it’s up to the Belgian to exploit the weaknesses of that system. By moving his man out of the middle, Hazard can sacrifice his own ability for the sake of the team, and Chelsea can have the run of the central midfield.
This will give the Blues an excellent defensive platform from which to control the game, and while they will have lost their most influential attacker, it will allow a superb opportunity for Willian and whichever striker may play up front to take advantage of the space to change the game.
