Preivew: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Both Manchester United and Chelsea come into this contest off the back of solid pre-seasons. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side picked up five straight wins from matches against Perth Glory, Leeds United, Inter, Tottenham, and Norwegian side Kristiansund, before seeing off AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out after the match had finished two-all inside 90 minutes. That result meant that the Red Devils completed their pre-season campaign with six wins out of six games and certainly, fans will be hoping that Manchester United, who failed to qualify for a Champions League spot after finishing in sixth place - and thus will have to try their luck in the Europa League - will be able to replicate that same solid form across all competitions this season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea also had a very strong summer showing and with the exception of a surprise 1-0 loss to Japanese outfit Kawasaki Frontale, were unbeaten in six of their seven games (four wins, two draws). It was a rather topsy-turvy season last year under Maurizio Sarri who managed to end his difficult tenure on a high note by winning the first major title of his career as the Blues triumphed in the Europa League final at the expense of Arsenal. Now, like Manchester United, Chelsea have decided to bring back a former player on the tactician's bench, much to the delight of fans, but the pressure will be on iconic midfielder Frank Lampard as he looks to guide Chelsea across several competitions - including the Champions League - this season.
Team news: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Manchester United: Eric Bailly is set to miss out due to a knee problem, along with youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah. In addition, Alexis Sanchez could be in doubt due to a lack of overall match fitness, despite featuring for Chile during the Copa America.
Chelsea: Both N'golo Kanté and Antonio Rüdiger are major doubts as they continue their recovery from knee injuries, along with Willian as a result of a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, youngsters Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are both out following achilles injuries.
Match facts and stats: Manchester United vs Chelsea
- Chelsea have only lost one of their last 20 opening weekend fixtures in the Premier League (W16 D3)
- Manchester United, with 18 wins, and Chelsea with 17 wins have won more opening games than any other side in the Premier League
- The last time Chelsea lost an opening game was against Burnley in 2017. Before then, their last defeat was to Coventry in 1998
- Chelsea haven't won at Old Trafford since May 2013
- Manchester United are unbeaten since then against Chelsea (W2 D4)
- However, the Red Devils have won only two of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (D6 L5)
Key talking points: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Manchester United: The Red Devils have undergone some major changes in personnel this summer, namely with star striker Romelu Lukaku leaving the club. Interestingly, they haven't brought in an out-and-out replacement for the big Belgian up front, and that leaves the goal-scoring responsibilities to the likes of youngster Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, plus Alexis Sanchez, who had a less than impressive campaign last season. With Lukaku not occupying space in the middle, this could certainly give others a chance to shine and give Solskjær a chance to mix things up this season.
Defensive signing Harry Maguire - now the most expensive defender after breaking the record set by Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk - will also be given his debut on Sunday at Old Trafford.
Then there's the case of wantaway midfielder Paul Pogba. He's still with the club, despite clearly angling for a move with clubs like Real Madrid keen on his services. How will Solskjær manage to re-integrate him in with the rest of the team without creating a disruptive force in the locker room as with 13 goals (16 across all competitions) he was the team's top goal-scorer?
Chelsea: Record-signing Christian Pulisic's debut is something to look forward to as the 20-year-old American looks set to begin a new phase of his footballing journey in the Premier League. With Eden Hazard off to Real Madrid, some have already started comparing the ex-Dortmund star to the Belgian ace. A tad premature, to be honest, as Pulisic hasn't even kicked a ball in an official capacity for the Blues, but he did look quite promising in pre-season for Lampard's side and Blues supporters are certainly hoping that the $73 million dished out on his services will be money well spent as they look to become a competitive force not just domestically, but on the continent.
With Chelsea facing a transfer ban, this means that no new signings will be coming in. It'll be interesting to see how Lampard makes use of Jorginho - a player many Blues fans thought would leave with Sarri as the Italian boss had brought him in from Napoli and had re-formatted his line-up to suit him at the expense of Kante. Will Lampard be able to use him alongside Kante and Pulisic once the former is fully healthy?
Where to watch Manchester United vs Chelsea live on August 11, 2019
In the USA, catch Manchester United vs Chelsea on SiriusXM FC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Live Extra App, Telemundo, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo.
Live in the UK, but can't make it to Old Trafford? No worries. You can still follow the game via BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports Main Event, SKY GO Extra, and Sky Sports Premier League.
If you reside somewhere else other than the USA or the UK, here's how you can watch the match:
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
