Manchester United vs Chelsea tips: Hosts set for half-time lead and comfortable home win

Newcastle’s draw with Leicester on Monday means Man Utd could also jump up to third with a win.

Premier League, Thursday May 25, Kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event

Manchester United win to nil

Manchester United to win the first half

Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League matches against Chelsea, winning three of those.

Manchester United have won all six home games against London clubs this season, outscoring them 12-2.

Chelsea have lost 13 away matches this season and have failed to score on 12 occasions on their travels.

The last five meetings between the sides have finished 1-1 or 0-0.

Lisandro Martinez (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Marcel Sabitzer (knee), Phil Jones (knee) and Tom Heaton (ankle) are confirmed absentees for Thursday’s match.

Marcus Rashford was struck down with illness before the weekend and will hope to be fit in time to feature on Thursday.

Armando Broja (knee), Reece James (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (groin), N’Golo Kante (groin), Mason Mount (groin), Marc Cucurella (thigh), Marcus Bettinelli and Ben Chilwell (thigh) form a lengthy injury list for the visitors.

Manchester United will welcome Chelsea to Stamford Bridge knowing that a single point will guarantee a return to the Champions League. Meanwhile, Chelsea are playing for pride after an awful season.

United recorded a crucial victory without the services of Marcus Rashford at the weekend. Their 1-0 victory over Bournemouth required some grit and determination.

The victory marked the sixth time in nine matches that Erik Ten Hag’s side were able to put on a controlled performance and win without conceding a goal.

At Old Trafford, the Reds have shut out the opposition in their last five matches and may have gone on to win all of those had it not been for a Casemiro red card in a 0-0 draw with Southampton.

Visitors Chelsea have struggled for goals all season. The club have had a terrible campaign by their previously high standards.

Frank Lampard’s side have lost 13 times on their travels in all competitions and they have failed to score a goal in 12 away matches. The latest of those was a 1-0 weekend defeat to Man City.

They travel to Old Trafford having failed to score in seven of their last 11 matches in all competitions, going on to lose eight of those games.

We don’t want to pay too much attention to the fact that the last five meetings between the sides have been drawn because Chelsea were a much, much better side at the time of those fixtures.

As well as struggling to score, Chelsea have made life hard for themselves by conceding early goals. They have allowed nine goals in the first half of their last seven matches, often falling behind by the 30-minute mark.

The hosts have led at the break in 11 of their 13 home Premier League wins, so we’re going to back them to repeat that feat. We also think Manchester United to win to nil is a nicely priced bet.