--- title: "Chelsea v Manchester United: Five things to look out for" canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2015/04/15/chelsea-v-manchester-united-five-things-to-look-out-for/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" section: "Man Utd Match Previews" published: "2015-04-15T13:00:44Z" modified: "2015-04-15T13:00:44Z" --- # Chelsea v Manchester United: Five things to look out for **Juan Mata returns to Stamford Bridge** Juan Mata was revered during his time at Chelsea, winning the ‘Player of the Year’ award two seasons running. He should be afforded a hero’s welcome upon returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time. The match offers Mata a chance to prove his worth to a manager who felt that he didn’t quite fit the bill at Chelsea. Jose Mourinho likes his teams to be organised and solid and he obviously felt that Mata was too risky of a player. Excellent in attack but suspect in his execution of defensive duties. The pragmatic Portuguese couldn’t live with those risks no matter the talent he was disposing of. Mata has certainly enjoyed a renaissance in his Manchester United career in recent weeks. When it seemed that Louis van Gaal was similarly inclined to his Chelsea counterpart, his chance came in the match against Spurs and he’s never looked back. He’s scored goals and ridiculed the doubts over his contribution off the ball. His positioning out on right wing with the option to ghost inside has been a tactical masterstroke by van Gaal. Mata’s intelligence has seen him find the space to hurt opponents. His goal against Manchester City came from the left hand side of the pitch. Rather than seeing such a marvellously talented player stifled by Mourinho’s pragmatism we are now able to see him fit into a system that is both structured and imaginative. The tactical switch has certainly reaped dividends. Mata will no doubt be emotional about returning to his old home for the first time as an opponent. But he will also see it as a chance to prove his class once more, in front of the manager who doubted him. **Can United’s resurgence continue?** Juan Mata’s own turnaround in fortunes is mirrored by his teams. Losing to Arsenal and going out of the FA Cup, the only realistic chance of a trophy, left this United side at a crossroads. Games against the top four elect coming up, the test of Louis van Gaal and his charges would be there for all to see. The last four games have seen Manchester United, the real United, return after nearly two years’ absence. Bogged down by the looming shadow of former glories, this team has emerged as its own team. Van Gaal has found his formation and settled on it. Confidence and free flowing football has returned to Old Trafford. There is both a spirit and a belief back in the dressing room. We are now excited for the future rather than daunted by it. The ultimate test of how far Louis van Gaal’s United have come will certainly come at the home of Chelsea. They are likely to be champions simply because they have been more consistent than everyone else. They have looked fairly uninspiring in recent weeks but in typical championship winning style they have gotten the results. For a possible tilt at the title this challenge has come a little too late for United. But a result here, at a ground where we haven’t had much joy, would be the rubber-stamping of Manchester United’s revival. Ask a fan six weeks ago how positive they were about this match and you wouldn’t have gotten an enthusiastic response. Now there is excitement among the supporters wondering how far this team can go. **Louis van Gaal’s approach** The progress of this team will be down to how Louis van Gaal approaches this fixture, both tactically and in terms of personnel. Recent results and performances suggest that there is no need to change, to try and fix something that isn’t broken. But van Gaal will know as well as anybody that you can’t stand still. Perhaps a slight alteration will be needed to enhance our chances of success. This is the biggest test of the team. Chelsea are the best side in the country, it would take a monumental loss of form to prevent them from being crowned champions in May. The key aspects of United’s recent revival have been both tactically and in individual performances. Van Gaal appears to have settled on playing four at the back and Daley Blind on the left and Antonio Valencia on the right have linked up with their wingers to devastating effect. Playing wingers has brought both pace and intelligence to the group. Ashley Young has been a revelation and you’d be shocked if he was replaced in the starting line up even if his obvious replacement is a player of Angel Di Maria’s calibre. Mata has found time and space to hurt opponents that he couldn’t find in previous formations. The midfield trio of Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini have brought tempo to the control and possession we had, at times, wasted with slow build up. Fellaini has been another masterful piece of tactical genius by van Gaal. The giant Belgian has been unplayable in recent matches. The Stamford Bridge pitch is certainly a lot tighter than at Old Trafford but that might suit United’s pressing game even if there is less space to exploit on the pitch. But with the likes of Mata, Herrera and Carrick we have the craft to make use of what space opens up on the pitch. As the manager enjoys his side controlling the tempo and possession of the match, it is likely that we will see a similar set up to our previous matches. In terms of personnel, it is hard to see many changes, the players who lined up against City have earned their place in the team. It is whether van Gaal feels that Chelsea require a different approach. We might not see as much of the ball, counter-attacking could be our best bet to win the match. Someone like Di Maria may well come in, on account of his incredible speed and ability to break. However we line up on Saturday it will be interesting to see the next tactical innovation that van Gaal has up his sleeve. **Can United contain Eden Hazard?** Central to van Gaal’s tactical approach at the Bridge may well be how the team handle Eden Hazard. The Belgian has been the league leaders’ star man and their creative force both in assists and goals scored. Another impressive season has led to many believing he can join the world class ranks of Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez. Whether he is at such a level is debatable but his gradual progression in his three seasons at Chelsea have given credence to his potential to become one of the world’s best. Hazard did have a relatively quiet game at Loftus Road and was largely subdued by the Queens Park Rangers defence and midfield. Yet if you switch off for a moment, he has the ability to hurt you. And that’s exactly what he did, laying on the winning goal for Cesc Fabregas. The top players always find a way to make a difference. The main problem with Hazard is stopping him when he gathers pace running with the ball. How many times have we seen him brought down in the box? If he isn’t tackled he usually gets a shot away which more often than not results in a goal. Van Gaal must decide whether to apply a man marker to Hazard or hope that the team’s current style will leave him rarely getting the ball. They will need to press quickly and not allow him to gather speed when in possession. But United have been playing such a system with great effect in recent weeks so it won’t require them to change their ways. However they approach it, Hazard will surely be the opponent to watch out for. **Van Gaal vs. Mourinho** It will interesting to see another instalment of Louis van Gaal versus Jose Mourinho on the touchline. Who will win the tactical battle? Both have similarities in their approach, they both want their teams to be organised and well balanced and building from the foundation of a solid defence. Yet there are differences. Van Gaal is more open to playing free flowing attacking football. There’s a bit more imagination to how his team plays. They are both winners. They are driven by a desire to succeed. The tactical approach of the men in charge could decide the outcome of this crucial match. Van Gaal has already outsmarted Pochettino, Rodgers and Pellegrini. Will his former Barcelona protégé Mourinho be next?