The biggest game of the weekend in the Premier League is the very first game to kick off, when Manchester United travel south to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the lunchtime kick off on Saturday. A game between these two will always attract attention, but with the pressure on United boss Jose Mourinho showing no signs of going away, a trip to face his old team is going to add even more interest to this game.

If you look at the start made by both clubs this season, I think Chelsea would describe their start as far better than expected, while United would certainly describe their start as far worse than expected. With a new boss coming in to Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Chelsea struggle a little as their players adjusted to a new playing style at the start of the season. However, they have done completely the opposite and thrived on the change early doors. After eight games they are still yet to lose, with six wins and two draws putting them up in second place, but they are tied for top spot on points.

Just four wins from eight games alongside a draw and three defeats have left Manchester United looking vulnerable in 8th place right now. That doesn’t really tell the full story though, because when they have won, more often than not United have played poorly. There is a three way battle for power at the club, with fans, the board and boss Jose Mourinho pulling in different directions. Bad feeling and anger is all over this team, and while ever that remains they will not be seen at their best, which will prevent them from climbing the table.

Sarri Makes Impressive Start at The Bridge

With the talk surrounding Manchester United and the emergence of Liverpool as genuine title contenders this season, Chelsea have slipped under the radar a little. However, after eight games they are matching both Manchester City and Liverpool, and there is every chance that they could improve further as their players adapt to the way that Maurizio Sarri wants to play.

Something worth remembering here is that Sarri didn’t get much time with many members of his new team due to the World Cup this summer. He would have loved the summer to take time on the training field and show players how he wants them to play, but he hasn’t had that yet. Even during recent international breaks, many members of the squad have been away, and not had the chance to learn.

This all makes things look even better and brighter for Chelsea and after missing out on the top four last season, their aim has to be to bounce straight back in this season. Based on what we have seen so far, they look to have a great chance of doing that, and with the struggles that Manchester United are showing right now, that is one less team that Chelsea have to beat to a coveted top four spot.

Hazard vs Pogba

It is fair to say that both Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba have had their fair share of problems with the clubs they are playing with, and sepculation about their future is never too far away. However, the difference between the two players so far this season has been that Eden Hazard has not let it affect him in the same way that Paul Pogba has. Hazard has come back to Chelsea despite transfer speculation and played some of his best football, driving his team forward and playing a huge part in their success. Pogba has shown flashes of brilliance, but he looks as though he is a player troubled by the issues surrounding him, and we are not seeing him at his best.

Perhaps the most important piece of business that Chelsea completed this summer was to keep Hazard at the club despite interest in him. He was fantastic at the World Cup, and has continued that form now he is back in the Premier League. On his day he is one of the best in the world, and he is always going to be a valuable asset to Chelsea when he is playing as well as he is right now. His goal below came away at Liverpool in the League Cup, and shows just how brilliant he can be when he takes control of a game. Liverpool had no answer for his skills, and if he turns up in the same frame of mind against Manchester United, they look set for a tough day trying to stop him.

Chelsea vs Manchester United Betting Tips

I don’t think either of these two are the finished product, but Chelsea look to be a lot closer than Manchester United right now. There are many things going off behind the scenes at United and until they get sorted out, this team will not perform as well as it should be doing. The same cannot be said about Chelsea, they have brought in a new manager who appears to have everyone on side, and he is already getting the very best out of many of his players despite only being involved for a short period and have little time with them.

While these two may be closer than their current league positions suggest, the only bet in this game is to back Chelsea to win. This has been a good start at Stamford Bridge, they are still unbeaten and they will be looking to kick on and continue their good form after the international break. Manchester United have a multitude of problems that need solving on and off the field before they are a team that I would want to be backing with any confidence.

This is the game of the week in the Premier League, and the first one to kick off. All eyes will be on Jose Mourinho, this is the most pressure he has felt as a manager and now he has to go back to an old club that gave him a lot of success earlier in his career. He will be desperate to go down there and pick up what would be a valuable win, but his team simply doesn’t have the required quality and there are too many off field issues bothering them at the moment.

I will be backing Chelsea to take all three points at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, continuing their impressive start to the Premier League season under their new boss Maurizio Sarri.

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