This Sunday Manchester United play host to Chelsea in what has always been regarded as one of the quality fixtures in the Premiership calendar.
Fevzi Hussein looks back at some of the previous meetings and some of the more interesting facts around the stars who are sure to make the headlines.
* These two teams have played each other a total of 141 times in the league with Manchester United shading the wins by 59 to 40. There have been a total of 42 draws.
* Since the Premiership began in the 1992/93 season they have played each other a total of 41 times and are currently tied with 13 wins each.
* Utd’s biggest victory over Chelsea at home was back in 1960 where they beat the blues 6-0.
* Chelsea have managed only one clean sheet in their last 17 trips to Old Trafford.
* Chicharito, otherwise known as Javier Hernandez, loves playing against Chelsea and has bagged a goal in six of his last eight outings against the blues so anyone looking for a first goal-scorer should look no further (that is if Sir Alex plays him ahead of RvP).
* Robin Van Persie’s recent barren spell where he went ten games without a goal is now well behind him as he has scored 6 goals in his last 4 games including a brilliant hatrick against Aston Villa in their previous home match.
* Frank Lampard is currently stuck on 201 goals for Chelsea, just one behind Bobby Tambling’s record of 202 goals, who is still Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer.
* The last six meetings between these clubs have yielded an impressive 29 goals which averages out at nearly 5 goals a game.
* Manchester United have scored in 66 successive home games, which is a Premiership record.
* Chelsea’s last league victory at Old Trafford was back in 2009 when they won 2-1 thanks to goals from Didier Drogba and Joe Cole.
So, based on the above, my pundits pick for Sunday’s crunch game is a 3-2 victory to Chelsea with Chicharito bagging a brace for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team and Frank Lampard scoring the winner from a free-kick to equal Bobby Tambling's record as Chelsea’s all time highest goal-scorer. Either way, I am sure footie fans will be in for a treat.
Source: DSG
