Manchester United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford for one of the most popular matches in any football calendar.
A fixture that has been played 164 times in the Premier League era, complete with super star players like Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney.
Two clubs with a mentality of success ingrained into their DNA by legendary coaches like Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Both teams come into their game in contrasting form. United have only managed three wins all season, and are seemingly struggling in front of goal.
Chelsea on the other hand are playing free-flowing football under new boss Enzo Maresca, and would like their chances heading to Old Trafford later today.
Eras come to an end
At the beginning of his tenure, former Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag famously said,”Eras come to an end.”
The former Ajax coach was relieved from his duties as coach, following a 2-1 loss to West Ham last weekend.
Despite winning silverware, and securing European football, Ten Hag faced stern criticism from all corners of the club, as The Red Devils sunk to 14th place, despite another summer of ambitious recruitment.
Assistant Coach and former United striker, Rudy Van Nistelrooy has been placed in interim charge of the team, until new boss Ruben Amorim takes charge after the international break.
Despite shaky form in recent weeks, Manchester United fans will hope their team approaches this game with optimism.
Beyond the breath of fresh air afforded by changing coaches, Manchester United haven’t lost to Chelsea at Old Trafford, in their last 10 encounters.
An unstoppable force
After suffering an opening day defeat against Manchester City, doubters were preparing to write off new Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca.
Nine games later, the Blues are not only one of the most exciting teams to watch,having scored 19 goals, but have only lost once since then.
The former Leicester City manager has not only steadied the ship, but is also creating something special at the London club.
Manchester United vs Chelsea: Team news and predicted lineups
Heading into game week 10, the usual suspects make up the injury list at Old Trafford.
Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, and Leny Yoro will continue to miss out due to injury.
Malacia and Yoro have both been captured recently doing light gym and pitch work, but will not be expected to return until after the next international break at the earliest.
On a brighter note, Kobbie Mainoo is expected to make the matchday squad, and will most likely make the bench. Another positive note is the return of Harry Maguire whose calf injury is believed to have subsided.
Both Mainoo and Maguire are key players who could boost the home team's chances of a result later today.
In recent weeks Chelsea has seen the return of key players like Reece James and Romeo Lavia.
The Blues currently have one of the thinnest injury lists at the moment, and their only miss this weekend will be that of Jadon Sancho, who cannot play against his parent club.
Players to watch: Rashford vs Palmer
Marcus Rashford
Very few players can match Marcus Rashford when he’s playing at his best, but the player, who has been at Manchester United since he was seven years old, is a bit of a divisive figure within the club’s fan base.
84 Premier league goals and a further 40 assists, speaks of a solid attacker, but his form this season, coupled with Manchester United’s underperformance in front of goal this season, has singled the English forward out for criticism.
Despite this rough patch of form, Rashford is still an elite forward, and his record against the traditional “Big Six” clubs speaks volumes.
If they are to get a result today, Manchester United will need Rashford to show what he’s capable of.
Cole Palmer
One of the most exciting talents in world football at the moment, Cole Palmer has evolved into a truly elite forward.
Making the bold decision to leave Manchester City following their treble winning campaign, in a bid for more game time looked crazy at the time.
However, Palmer’s 25 goals in his debut Chelsea season, and the 12 he has scored in all competitions so far, show that he had every right to seek out more chances.
Of the 19 goals Chelsea has scored in the Premier league so far, Palmer has directly contributed to 12 - scoring seven and assisting a further five.
He also leads the Chelsea team for metrics like: shots per game (3.2 ), key passes per game (2.9) and big chances created (9).
An integral part of a Chelsea attack that has scored 19 goals in nine games, the most in the league, Palmer is key to Chelsea ending their poor run of form at Old Trafford.
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