Edwin van der Sar
The Manchester United goalkeeper is not as good as Petr Cech in terms of statistics for the number of saves and goals conceded. Nonetheless, even though he nears an average of a goal per match in the Premier League following 23 goals allowed in 25 starts, Van der Sar is still a quality goalkeeper. Edwin has faced the Blues a number of times in his career, and he is well aware of the threats they can pose in attack. His instant saves and control inside the 6-yard box are attributes that can frustrate almost any forward. Beating him therefore often requires mistakes from his own mates in defense.
Patrice Evra
Evra is almost as good in defense as he is in attack. He can constantly be seen on the wings supporting his team’s front—and it is his aggression, his pace, and his flowing movements on the field which make it so difficult for opposing sides to contain him. When he is not tackling, he is pressuring on the attack. It is even needless to say that his power will be of great use for Coach Alex Ferguson against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge.
Nemanja Vidic
Vidic has not been overshadowed this season. Although he plays as a defender for Manchester United, he has managed to earn 4 goals in the Premier League in 27 starts. Unlike his partner Evra though, he does not have the best of images toward referees, with 5 bookings so far. His abilities in the air as well as in set-pieces add to the Red Devils’ strength on the offensive. Yet, there is one thing Nemanja Vidic needs to do right this evening in the Chelsea vs Manchester United match: contain Fernando Torres faultlessly. The Serbian has proved to have some difficulties with this particular task in the past, but he could well make a correction later today.
Nani
The Portuguese winger is now Manchester United’s new “Rocket”. Even though he hasn’t got too many goals this season in the Premier League so far, his dynamism on the field is remarkable—with 109 shots and 12 assists. When it comes to crosses, Nani appears as a real danger to opposing defenses. When given a bit of space, his attempts on goal can be truly destructive. Dribbling, teasing and running are also some of his specialties, so Chelsea’s back players will have to hope that they do not fall into his traps.
Dimitar Berbatov
No matter what he looks like, Berbatov is getting the goals for Manchester United this season. An overall satisfying form has seen him net 19 goals in 24 Premier League appearances. Almost half of his shots have been on targets according to his statistics, and unfortunately for Chelsea, he may rise up at any moment to dazzle. This calls for concentration and agility on behalf of the Blues.
Javi Hernandez
In 8 starts and 10 appearances as a substitute, Javi Hernandez has scored 9 times. This is a very positive statistical fact for a player who is still “new” to the British style of football. The Mexican attacker has the ability to score anyhow; and his energy on the field is something Chelsea will have to be wary of, if they do not want to be stunned. Of course, as at now, there are still doubts over his presence in Ferguson’s starting line-up.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney could have been the main man to watch in the Chelsea vs Manchester United game. The English forward has however been through a bad season, being plagued with injuries. In 18 appearances, Rooney has only found the back of the net on 6 occasions. He however has 11 assists in his name, and lack of attention from the part of Chelsea defenders might cause the home side to lose stability in the encounter. There has been controversy over Rooney’s anticipated presence in the clash, subsequent his recent unpleasant incident; but this will definitely not stop him from being at his best.
Manchester United Squad / Full List Of Players
Obviously, there are too many good players in Manchester United FC, but this article couldn’t have added all the names from their possible line-up to the list above. Therefore, we leave you with the full list of the Red Devils’ squad with the purpose of giving you the chance to go through the names, and pick your own players to watch against Chelsea.
Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak, Anders Lindegaard.
Outfield players: Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher, Dimitar Berbatov, Nani, Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Rafael, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Anderson, Park Ji-Sung, Javier Hernandez, Jonathan Evans, Chris Smalling, Darron Gibson, Gabriel Obertan, Antonio Valencia, Wes Brown, Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Bebe, Fabio, Joshua King.
