Ten Hag on Manchester United’s disappointing defeat to Newcastle
Manchester United’s inconsistent season took it’s latest turn on Sunday on the Red Devils were beaten by Newcastle at St. James’ Park. Erik ten Hag’s men went into that match on the back of three consecutive wins in the Premier League but must now rebuild as they look to push towards the top four.
United host Chelsea in one of tonight’s midweek offerings and will be hoping to move closer to the Champions League spots by defeating the Blues at Old Trafford. For their part, Mauricio Pochettino’s side rediscovered their form in a 3-2 defeat of Brighton at the weekend and will be keen to replicate that result this evening.
Chelsea are currently 10th in the table and still trying to gel under the Argentine who is yet to truly put his stamp on the team. A landmark win against Manchester United will build confidence in the squad and set the Blues up nicely for the rest of the festive period.
Follow all the action from Old Trafford below plus get the latest odds and tips below:
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Back down the tunnel disappear the players, readying themselves for kick off. These have been two chaotic clubs this season – could we have a helter-skelter affair in store?
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 20:04
Switch of captain for Chelsea
An amendment to Chelsea’s earlier team announcement graphic – Levi Colwill takes the captain’s armband tonight, not Raheem Sterling as the club initially suggested. A proud moment, no doubt, for the 20-year-old, who has been with the club for more than a decade.
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:57
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Newcastle don’t play until tomorrow night, so sixth spot is Manchester United’s for the taking this evening. A win would also move them level on points with Tottenham, who take on West Ham tomorrow.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could go into the top half.
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:55
Manchester United vs Chelsea
No goals, by the way, with 20 minutes or so gone in the four earlier kick-offs on a busy evening of Premier League action. No surprises, perhaps, that teams are struggling to warm into their work – it’s mighty cold out tonight.
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:53
Manchester United vs Chelsea
This feels like a big night for Rasmus Hojlund, who has had a mixed time of things since his summer move to Manchester United. Injury has rather disrupted Hojlund’s chances of properly settling in, but he’s shown glimpses of the talent that convinced the club to bring him to the Premier League.
How he gets at wily veteran Thiago Silva will be intriguing. On paper, Silva and Levi Colwill form a strong, nicely balanced partnership – can Hojlund trouble them?
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:39
And the Manchester United boss also has a quick natter into the microphone
Erik ten Hag says that the omissions of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are down to “rotation”.
On what he wants fans to see from his team tonight: “I think the fans have seen how we played against Everton and Galatasaray, how we played as a team. On the ball, we were very dominant and dictated.”
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:29
Mauricio Pochettino has a chat with Amazon Prime
On Reece James’s inclusion on the bench: “We need to build his momentum. After Newcastle, he was banned against Brighton, and the most important thing now is to build his confidence little by little. At the moment, I prefer that he is on the bench.”
On the Brighton win: “After Newcastle, it was really tough. The approach was really bad and we felt in a bad place. We really changed the approach against Brighton, played really well from the beginning. 11 v 11, we dominated. The team with one less player was really good. This type of performance makes us believe we can really build something in the future.”
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:24
Team News – Chelsea
Reece James is only on the bench for Chelsea.
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Sterling, Mudryk; Jackson.
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:17
Team News – Manchester United
No Marcus Rashford in the Manchester United starting XI tonight – Erik ten Hag opts for Antony and Alejandro Garnacho out wide.
Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw; Amrabat, McTominay; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.
Harry Latham-Coyle6 December 2023 19:16
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
