Stamford bridge will host the gigantic clash between the two most successful clubs in English football in the last 8 years Chelsea and Manchester United for the replay of the FA cup tie that ended 2-2 at Old Trafford.
Since the last time the two teams met at Old Trafford for the FA cup tie Manchester United have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League while Chelsea have progressed into the Quarter finals of the Europa League and closed the gap on second place Manchester City to 4 points. The first game was a tale of two halves that saw Man United cruise in at Half Time 2-0 up and was soon followed by a dominating attack from the South London club in the second half who replied with 2 goals of their own.
Current
Manchester United goes into the game as the league leaders and has no new injury concerns with all their players after playing the international period. Robin Van Persie is certainly the main player to watch . The Dutchman is the reason behind United staggering 15point lead over their rivals, scoring 23 goals in 38 appearances.
Chelsea, on the other hand, faces some issues. Oriol Romeu who recently underwent an operation on his cruciate reconstruction is expected to be out for a total of 6months and Ramires and Gary Cahill are both doubts for Chelsea trip to Southampton 3 days before the FA cup clash. Eden Hazard is the player to watch at Chelsea. The Belgian international signed for the European Champions In June 2012 and has also made a fantastic contribution to the Blues. Since signing for Chelsea FC, Hazard has made a total 27 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 8 goals and producing 8 assists. Hazard was defiantly the turning point in the Old Trafford meeting using his pace, key passing and his eye for goal to earn Chelsea a draw.
Stadium
Stamford Bridge, the fortress of Chelsea FC has been centre stage for some thrilling clashes between Chelsea and Manchester United in the past. In the previous 5 meetings at Stamford Bridge have seen Chelsea and United both win twice with one game ending a draw. With a capacity of 41,837, the home of the European champions is well known for being a theatre of noise when United come to town, allowing the atmosphere to nothing short of electric.
