Chelsea vs Manchester United - LIVE!
Marc Cucurella was once again Chelsea's hero as his headed goal earned a potentially season-defining 1-0 win over Manchester United just as his side's Champions League hopes looked to be slipping away. With 20 minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge the Blues were set to head into the final day of the Premier League season with their top-five fate out of their hands, with more poor finishing seemingly condemning them to two crucial points dropped and a third straight season out of Europe's top competition.
News that Aston Villa had beaten Tottenham in the earlier kick-off and had leapt ahead of Enzo Maresca's side only added to the tension amongst home fans, which turned to frustration as the enormity of their team's predicament came grimly into focus. Then appeared in the box the ebullient, untameable Cucurella, by far Chelsea's most improved player in the last 12 months and the scorer this season of seven goals - though none as valuable as this - slipping his man to head Reece James' cross past Andre Onana in the 71st minute and redeem a desperate situation.
A win away to Nottingham Forest next Sunday will confirm a top-five finish.
Chelsea vs Man United latest news
- FT: Chelsea hold on to beat Man United
- GOAL! Cucurella gives Chelsea lead in second-half
- NO GOAL! Maguire denied by VAR
Chelsea ratings
22:22 , Matt VerriReece James 8
So close to a brilliant opener when half-volley struck the post. Injury scare before half-time but able to carry on and produced wonderful bit of skill for the crucial assist.
Tosin Adarabioyo 7
Surprise pick ahead of Trevor Chalobah but comfortably won physical battle against Hojlund.
Marc Cucurella 8
How many times is that now? Came up with a massive goal just as his side seemed to have run out of ideas.
Read our ratings in full here!
FT: Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:15 , Matt VerriIt’s finished now and it’s a MASSIVE result for Chelsea!
Win on the final day and they will be in the Champions League next season.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:14 , Matt Verri90+8 mins: And now we have a pitch invader.
He stumbles around the pitch, before getting absolutely nailed with a rugby tackle by a steward.
This match might never finish.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:14 , Matt Verri90+7 mins: Chelsea break, United have nobody back in attack and Palmer plays in Gusto.
Despite just coming on, he is absolutely knackered and basically stumbles over. Hopeless.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:12 , Matt Verri90+5 mins: Chelsea winning a succession of corners as they keep poking it off a United players and out of play.
Palmer earns himself a booking for taking too long over one of those corners.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:09 , Matt Verri90+3 mins: Heaven takes a heavy touch, both he and Gusto then lunge in on each other.
It’s the Chelsea man who stays down, home fans demanding a red card.
Yellow for Heaven, who did jump in and catch Gusto with his follow-through.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:07 , Matt Verri90+1 mins: Neto off, Gusto on.
Maresca trying to reverse this bus into position for the next six minutes.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:06 , Matt Verri90 mins: More frustration from the United camp.
Ugarte goes in high and late on Cucurella, that’s another yellow card to add to the collection.
Bit of pushing and shoving, as the Chelsea players make sure a few more seconds tick away.
SEVEN minutes added on!
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:05 , Matt Verri89 mins: Palmer wiped out in midfield by Heaven, referee briefly considers playing advantage but Fernandez makes it clear there is no desire for that.
Chelsea would have to do something fairly spectacular to mess this up from here, considering what United are offering.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:03 , Matt Verri87 mins: Neto wins a corner and Palmer takes his sweet time in finding a ball for it.
James then stands in the corner with his foot on the ball - Chelsea’s mindset pretty clear from here...
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
22:00 , Matt Verri84 mins: Caicedo wins the ball back high up the pitch, it’s been another superb display from him.
Chelsea content to just try and keep it, as Fernandez runs 30 yards towards his own goal and then fires a pass all the way back to Sanchez.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
21:5781 mins: Maresca doing what he can to see this match out.
George off, Lavia on in midfield.
And Amorim making it clear he’s already lost interest in this one, as Mainoo and Heaven come on for Fernandes and Shaw.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
21:56 , Matt Verri79 mins: Hojlund has all the time in the world to lay the ball off... takes an absolute age and then loses it.
Better news for United is that Maguire is now spending more time up front, so they have a chance of scoring.
Amad with another dangerous run, Sanchez down well at his near post to save.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
21:54 , Matt Verri77 mins: Garnacho and James in a foot race, ends with James winning the ball and the Man United winger in a heap on the ground.
Dorgu then brings down Neto - momentum firmly with Chelsea.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
21:52 , Matt Verri75 mins: As it stands in the Premier League table, with Newcastle, Man City and Nottingham Forest having a game in hand.
3 - Newcastle 66 points
4 - Chelsea 66 points
5 - Aston Villa 66 points
6 - Man City 65 points
7 - Nottingham Forest 62 points
Chelsea 1-0 Man United
21:50 , Matt Verri73 mins: And it should be 2-0!
Palmer slides Madueke clean through on goal. First touch gets it out of his feet, second touch is to slice the effort miles wide.
Had to score.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:49 , Matt VerriThat is absolutely sensational from Reece James.
No forwards, no worries. The full-backs combine and Chelsea have a massive, massive goal.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Man United | Marc Cucurella 71'
21:47 , Matt VerriSTAMFORD BRIDGE ERUPTS!
James twists back onto his right foot, clips a perfect cross to the back post and Cucurella is free to head past Onana.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:46 , Matt Verri69 mins: One final chorus of boos for Mount as he comes off.
Casemiro also replaced, as Garnacho and Ugarte are brought on for the final 20 minutes or so.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:45 , Matt Verri68 mins: Don’t want to keep picking on him, but Hojlund really is offering nothing.
Tosin and Colwill having such an easy time of it against him.
Amad offering much more, he goes on another mazy run. Goes down in the box... whistle goes... for a dive!
Yellow card for the United winger. And it was a dive.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:41 , Matt VerriHalf-hour to go and Chelsea find themselves chasing a goal in a must-win game without a single attacking option on the bench.
How did we get here?
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:41 , Matt Verri64 mins: Yellow card for Mazraoui, who has left Colwill in a heap.
Defender knocked the ball past Mazraoui, who duly wiped him out in not particularly subtle fashion.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:40 , Matt VerriChelsea’s players might be up in arms on the pitch, but Enzo Maresca seems to accept the decision on the touchline - or at least he did until it was shown on the big screen and Willy Caballero convinced him to have a little moan to the fourth official.
NO PENALTY!
21:39 , Matt VerriEventually we get there.
Referee overturns that decision. Onana got a touch on the ball and George then threw himself to the ground.
Or dived, if you want to put it another way.
Referee over to the monitor.
Not sure why he’s needed to look at this more than once...
PENALTY CHELSEA!
21:38 , Matt VerriThat helps!
Onana has flown off his line, George knocks it past him and goes down... referee points to the spot.
Onana and the United players absolutely furious, but football players have been known to lie.
Hmmm... replays suggest contact is minimal. At best.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:36 , Matt VerriI’m surprised we haven’t seen Neto and George swap positions, even for five or ten minutes yet.
The youngster has had no impact at all playing through the middle.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:36 , Matt Verri59 mins: Really good from Madueke to skip his way to the byline.
Stands up a cross to the back post, Neto clatters into Dorgu in his attempt to get on the end of it and the whistle goes for a foul.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:34 , Matt Verri57 mins: Hojlund staggers into three Chelsea shirts, losing the ball. Decides not to blame someone else this time.
Another spell where neither side can keep the ball. Quality... is not high.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:32 , Matt Verri55 mins: Swift United counter, ends with Amad laying it back to Fernandes and the captain lashing over under pressure.
Hojlund, meanwhile, is going mad at Mount for not being played in earlier in the move.
Everything he’s produced in a United shirt would suggest he doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:29 , Matt Verri53 mins: Confirmation that Aston Villa have beaten Tottenham 2-0 in about as predictable result as you’ll ever see.
Means Chelsea have slipped down to sixth in the table as it stands. Have to win to keep their Champions League fate in their own hands.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:28 , Matt Verri52 mins: Nearly!
It’s a real chance for Mount to silence the boos and open the scoring.
Amad with a great run, picks out Mount and the midfielder fires it beyond the far post. Not the easiest of efforts, first time and on the run.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:27 , Matt VerriBizarre incident there as the referee makes Hojlund go and take off the fitness tracker on his wrist and then the fourth official won’t let him back on.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:27 , Matt Verri50 mins: Hojlund has trotted over to the touchline, big smile on his face.
He’s got what looks like a Whoop band on his wrist which he has to take off. And then he’s not allowed to come straight back.
Amorim, I can confirm, very much does not have a big smile on his face.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:25 , Matt Verri49 mins: Feels too far out for a shot.
James has other ideas, and sends his effort straight into the face of Fernandes.
Referee stops play, another hugely popular decision among the home fans...
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:23 , Matt Verri47 mins: No changes at the break, James fine to continue after that ankle scare before the break.
Palmer running at the Chelsea defence, he’s stopped by Casemiro pulling him back and the midfielder is booked.
Only tugged his shirt about four times.
Back underway!
21:21 , Matt VerriSecond-half is up and running.
Massive 45 minutes coming up in Chelsea’s season.
A shoulder away
21:17 , Matt VerriThis is how close Harry Maguire came to opening the scoring.
Lovely finish from the centre-back. At what point does saying he is one of the best in front of goal at the club stop being a joke...
Harry Maguire's goal for Manchester United is ruled out for offside after a VAR review ❌ pic.twitter.com/c08ipXLeIS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 16, 2025
Problems for Chelsea...
21:13 , Matt VerriAston Villa are 2-0 up against Tottenham and on the verge of sealing victory.
That will lift them two points above Chelsea as it stands, in the race for a top-five finish.
The Blues really have to win this match.
Boubacar Kamara drives it into the bottom corner to double Villa's lead over Spurs ☄️ pic.twitter.com/KVQKbr2sth
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 16, 2025
HT: Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:06 , Matt VerriChelsea not very good, Man United not very good... not a very good match.
United started decently but have completely fallen away, while Chelsea’s quality in the final third has been poor.
All of that = 0-0.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:05 , Matt Verri45+5 mins: Hojlund marking Colwill from the corner... and he’s pulled the Chelsea man’s shirt over his head. Might want to be a bit more subtle than that.
Chelsea take it short, make a complete mess of it and can be grateful to win another one.
Hojlund and Colwill still wrestling, as Amad boots it clear.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:04 , Matt Verri45+3 mins: Palmer with a cross to the back post, over everyone and out of play. Took a deflection though, corner.
United have basically done nothing for 20 minutes, they need half-time.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
21:02 , Matt VerriNot sure who’s more relieved there: Fernandez after missing or Onana after palming the ball straight down into the six-yard box instead of round the post.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:01 , Matt Verri45 mins: Fernandez has never been so happy to see an offside flag.
Palmer’s deflected effort is parried straight out by Onana, who should have done much, much better.
Fernandez following in, somehow blazes over from about three years.
Immediately looks over to the linesman and is thrilled to see it would have been offside.
Five minutes added on.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
21:00 , Matt Verri44 mins: James has limped to the touchline, he’s going to try and run it off in the last few minutes before half-time.
Chelsea captain back on... for now at least.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:59 , Matt VerriWorth nothing that Malo Gusto was going to be the player Maresca turned to there if James couldn’t carry on, rather than Romeo Lavia, which might’ve seen Caicedo move to right-back.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:58 , Matt Verri43 mins: Play paused as both Dorgu and James go down.
James has come off the worst, he landed awkwardly on his right ankle after the pair jumped to challenge in the air.
He looks to be in a lot of pain as the medical staff come on treat him.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:57 , Matt Verri41 mins: Caicedo tries a clever dinked ball over the top, very nearly pulls it off.
Madueke had got in behind Shaw, but just too much on the pass and Onana can claim it.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:54 , Matt Verri39 mins: United can’t keep the ball. Hojlund unable to hold it up, which is not exactly a new problem.
Amad looks the best bet for the visitors, he is at least wriggling away from challenges and causing problems.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:52 , Matt Verri36 mins: Dorgu tries to rugby tackle Neto, still can’t bring him down.
Chelsea winger has time to pick someone out, but instead hammers the cross straight at Onana.
Chelsea on top but they’ve not been great in the final third.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:50 , Matt Verri34 mins: Palmer has Neto and Madueke free to his left, both screaming at him to be played in.
He pauses once, twice, three times, eventually plays the pass but Maguire has long since got across to mop up.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:49 , Matt VerriChelsea have just started to get their wingers involved in the last few minutes and they’re causing the odd problem.
They had both been pretty much anonymous for half-an-hour.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:48 , Matt Verri33 mins: Aston Villa have just taken the lead on the hour mark against Tottenham.
That moves them two points above Chelsea in the table as it stands, with the Blues out of the Champions League places.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:47 , Matt Verri31 mins: Caicedo takes a slightly heavy touch, Fernandes thinks he can get there and swings a foot at the Chelsea midfielder.
Catches him late and that’s an obvious a yellow card as you’ll see.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:44 , Matt Verri28 mins: Ball headed out to Gusto, edge of the box and he absolutely hammers a volley at goal.
Hojlund has an arm slightly outstretched and it hits him from point-blank range - big penalty appeals.
VAR checking... VAR not interested.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:43 , Matt Verri27 mins: Chelsea seeing more of the ball now, their best spell of the match.
But Sanchez decides to then go long for once and it’s booted all the way through to Onana. More groans from the fans.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:41 , Matt VerriA big groan around the stadium as the replay is shown of that clipping the post.
Some strike from James.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:40 , Matt Verri24 mins: United have been much the better side so far - not sure many expected that in the build-up to this match.
Amad has gone down, Chelsea play on though. Think the home fans might have started a riot if they’d have kicked it out there.
Madueke gets to the byline, ball in comes out to James... 25 yards out... smacks the post!
Couldn’t have hit that any better.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:37 , Matt Verri21 mins: More trouble down Chelsea’s right.
Dorgu strolls forward, cut back is into the path of Mount but he can’t direct the shot on target as he stretches.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:35 , Matt Verri19 mins: Chelsea fans getting increasingly irritated and that’s not helped when Sanchez then shanks a pass sideways.
Fair to say the Blues aren’t looking full of confidence in playing out.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:33 , Matt VerriBig let off for Chelsea but they’ve got a big problem down their right side.
United are finding Dorgu in so much space with the big switch.
NO GOAL!
20:33 , Matt VerriVAR checking it for offside...
And it’s ruled out! Maguire’s goal chalked off.
He was about a shoulder offside.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man United | Harry Maguire 16'
20:31 , Matt VerriMaguire at it again!
United’s best finisher puts the visitors in front at Stamford Bridge.
No surprise that Fernandes is involved, whipping in a superb cross and Maguire is there to turn it in. Great finish on the half volley.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:31 , Matt Verri15 mins: Dorgu has half the pitch to himself on the left, eventually clips a cross in and James charges it down. Corner for United.
Fernandes’ ball in headed out by Tosin, and United then find themselves all the way back at the halfway line.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:29 , Matt Verri13 mins: Sanchez rolls a pass into Cucurella’s path, he knocks it neatly round the corner... straight out of play.
Scrappy is one word to describe the start to this match. Not very good are a few others.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:27 , Matt Verri11 mins: Referee sees Maguire go down, waves play on, Chelsea attack down the left and then the whistle goes.
I’ll leave you to guess how that’s gone down in the stands.
To be fair to Maguire, he did get an elbow to the side of the head as they challenged for the ball. He’ll be fine to continue, albeit with a glare and a couple of words for George.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:25 , Matt VerriAll a bit frantic so far.
Lots of loose touches, no long spells of possession for either side.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:23 , Matt Verri8 mins: Hojlund lays a pass off straight to Madueke, who generously lets it bounce off him and back into the striker’s path.
Chelsea win it back, try to break but it’s Colwill making the run down the left wing. Probably not Maresca’s first choice to be leading the charge.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:21 , Matt VerriThe masked Caicedo charges through midfield and then it’s a quite wonderful pass from Palmer.
Madueke had the easiest job of the three even with the ball bouncing. Should be 1-0.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:20 , Matt Verri4 mins: Should be 1-0 at the other end!
Superb driving run from Caicedo, surges away from three United players.
Finds Palmer, who picks out a wonderful pass to Madueke at the back post... fires over the bar from close range.
Might have been offside anyway.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:19 , Matt Verri3 mins: Brilliant first-time cross into the box from Fernandes.
Too much on it for Hojlund, but Mount has made the run at the back post and only an acrobatic leg from James hooks the ball away to safety.
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
20:18 , Matt Verri2 mins: Lovely warm welcome for Mount, loud chorus of boos whenever he’s touched the ball in the opening couple of minutes.
Neither side have kept the ball very well so far, all very scrappy.
KICK-OFF!
20:15 , Matt VerriUp and running at Stamford Bridge!
“No evidence to suggest they can come here and win.”
Rousing words for the Manchester United camp for Roy Keane. Imagine that’s not quite how Ruben Amorim put it in his pre-match team talk.
Players are out, kick-off just a couple of minutes away.
Elsewhere in the Premier League
20:10 , Matt VerriCurrently 0-0 at Villa Park, with half-time just a few minutes away.
That would be a great result for Chelsea, having come into tonight level on points with Aston Villa.
Enzo Maresca, though, has insisted the Blues have no interest in results elsewhere.
Not long now...
20:07 , Matt VerriWarm-ups done at Stamford Bridge, players are back inside the dressing rooms.
Coming into tonight’s clash the assumption was Chelsea would probably get the job done, with this being a perfect time to face Man United.
But the visitors are at close to full strength and Amorim has made it clear they must compete tonight... do wonder if the United players have a point to prove.
We will soon see.
Man United in dire form domestically
20:00 , Matt VerriManchester United haven’t won any of their last seven Premier League matches.
Leicester, Ipswich, Southampton and Fulham... those are the only teams United have beaten in the league since December.
Truly miserable record.
George to lead the line
19:53 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca confirms that it will be Tyrique George playing through the middle tonight.
Pedro Neto can also lead the line, but he will be on the wing and George on his first Premier League start will start up front.
"I see his talent and also his energy,” Maresca says.
“It’s good in these kinds of games. We need to attack from behind, we need that threat. He can play in the middle, he can play wide, but tonight he will be in the middle."
Record-breaking season!
19:46 , Matt VerriMan United really were a decent promoted side away from finding themselves in a relegation battle...
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
19:39 , Matt VerriRemember all the jokes at the start of the season about the number of forwards Chelsea had on their books?
Not a single one on the bench tonight.
Amorim: We need to compete
19:35 , Matt VerriRuben Amorim has been asked about his decision to name a strong Man United lineup tonight, despite the Europa League final coming up on Wednesday night.
“We have five days to prepare the final,” Amorim says.
“We are focused on this game. Sometimes the best way to prepare for a final is to play, to compete.
“We have been experiencing some problems in that area, so I want to see the team compete. I need to understand my team to prepare for the final in a better way.”
Mount starts on familiar territory
19:27 , Matt VerriMason Mount back at Stamford Bridge tonight.
Fair to say his move to Manchester United from Chelsea hasn’t particularly been a success, with injuries hampering his momentum.
But he has scored three goals in his last three matches, and will be keen to make an impression in west London.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
19:19 , Matt VerriCould prove to be a decisive night for Chelsea’s Champions League hopes... one way or another.
"Chelsea's last home game of the season and it's a big one."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 16, 2025
🗣 @MalikOuzia_ gives his pre-match thoughts ahead of a huge night for the Blues in their bid to secure Champions League football.
LIVE: https://t.co/gRsX09NWmR #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/pw46qOLipX
Amorim goes strong!
19:10 , Matt VerriTottenham have named a heavily rotated side at Aston Villa tonight, with their focus very much the Europa League final.
Different approach from Ruben Amorim, who has opted for a pretty strong lineup against Chelsea.
Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Amad Diallo and Harry Maguire all start, it’s near enough a first-choice side.
Time for them to deliver a performance and take some momentum in the final.
Man United team news
19:04 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Diallo, Mount, Hojlund
Subs: Bayindir, Amass, Fredricson, Heaven, Collyer, Eriksen, Mainoo, Ugarte, Garnacho
Chelsea team news
19:02 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Sanchez, James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo, Madueke, Palmer, Neto, George
Subs: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Badiashile, Chalobah, Acheampong, Anselmino, Gusto, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall
Ratcliffe's wealth falls in 2024
18:51 , Matt VerriManchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's wealth has fallen by £6.473billion in the last year, according to this year's Sunday Times Rich List.
Ratcliffe, founder of petrochemicals giant INEOS, has seen his fortune reduced from £23.519bn 12 months ago to £17.046bn to lie in seventh place in the latest list, which charts the wealth of the 350 richest people in the UK.
The 72-year-old bought a 27.70 per cent stake in the Old Trafford club for £1.25bn in February last year and has since increased his holding to 28.94 per cent.
Having taken charge of football operations, he has since presided over a controversial cost-cutting exercise as he attempts to revive United's fortunes.
They currently lie in 16th place in the Premier League table with two games remaining and need to beat 17th-placed Tottenham in the Europa League final if they are to emerge with anything to show for their efforts this season.
How it stands...
18:44 , Matt VerriChelsea currently in control of their own Champions League fate.
They sit fifth in the table, so two wins in their final two matches and it will be enough, assuming there is not a massive goal-difference swing.
Aston Villa currently level on points with the Blues and Nottingham Forest, who Chelsea travel to on the final day, are only a point further back.
It’s very, very tight. Chelsea must win tonight.
Maresca: Chelsea need new striker signing
18:31 , Matt VerriEnzo Maresca has confirmed he wants fresh competition for Nicolas Jackson next season, as Chelsea plot their summer move for a new striker.
The Blues head into the final two games of the Premier League season without the suspended Jackson, following his red card at Newcastle last weekend.
Youngster Marc Guiu is the only other recognised No9 in Maresca’s squad and has been injured since the start of February.
Maresca has repeatedly said he does not view Christopher Nkunku as a traditional centre-forward, though the Frenchman is also sidelined in any case.
It means Jackson has been an automatic selection whenever fit, including on his return from two months out with a hamstring injury at the start of April and throughout the 13-game goal drought that ran either side of that absence.
Asked whether the lack of serious competition had harmed the 23-year-old’s development, Maresca said: “I'm not able to answer now because I don't know the other part, if a No 9 was here. For sure, with us, in my personal opinion, he has grown and improved a lot. Now if another No9 was here is it better for him? I don't know.”
However, when asked whether he wanted someone to provide competition going forward, he said: “100 per cent”.
Stage is set!
18:22 , Matt VerriEvening sun is shining over Stamford Bridge in west London.
Perfect conditions... fingers crossed for a game to match it.
Our penultimate #PL matchday of the season awaits 🌅#MUFC || #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/xkWiN69w94
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 16, 2025
Standard Sport prediction
18:17 , Matt VerriThe defeat at Newcastle and Jackson’s moment of madness will no doubt have wounded Chelsea, who had won three league games on the bounce to gather some real momentum alongside their progress to the Conference League final.
But they could hardly ask for better opponents for a crucially swift bounce-back than the domestic version of Manchester United, who have been a totally different proposition to the one that has advanced to the Europa League showpiece.
Losers of five of their last seven, they have been truly dire in the league of late and a trip to face a team with something big still to play for is unlikely to improve Amorim’s increasingly exasperated mood.
Chelsea to win, 3-1.
Man United team news
18:09 , Matt VerriRuben Amorim has a number of selection decisions to make.
The Red Devils take on Tottenham in the Europa League final next Wednesday, and their Portuguese head coach has emphasised the need for all of his squad to be available if they are to cap off a terrible campaign with a trophy.
Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro are the injury worries in the central defensive trident, while Diogo Dalot has not featured since the 1-0 home defeat by Wolves with an ankle issue.
Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven are longer-term absentees, while Joshua Zirkzee will not feature again this season after he suffered a thigh problem last month.
Midfielder Toby Collyer and the experienced Jonny Evans are now back in full training, while Dalot was seen doing some individual work at Carrington on Thursday as he bids to make the final in Bilbao.
How will Amorim approach his trip to Stamford Bridge? Does he field the kids? Does he believe continuity is the way to go?
Expect plenty of rotation.
Predicted Manchester United XI (3-4-2-1): Bayindir; Fredricson, Lindelof, Shaw; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dorgu; Mount, Eriksen; Obi
Chelsea team news
18:00 , Matt VerriChelsea have a shortage of attacking options to choose from tonight.
They will be without first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson for both their final two league games of the season following his red card in last weekend’s defeat at Newcastle.
Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are also sidelined, meaning manager Enzo Maresca does not have a recognised striker at his disposal.
Pedro Neto appears likeliest to assume the role, having done so while Jackson was injured earlier this season. However, Maresca’s options are also limited out wide by the fact that Jadon Sancho is ineligible to feature against his parent club.
Alternatively, Chelsea could turn to youngster Tyrique George. The 19-year-old started both legs of the Conference League semi-final tie against Djurgarden but is unproven in the role at Premier League level.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia, Fernandez; Palmer, Neto, Madueke
How to watch Chelsea vs Man United
17:51 , Matt VerriTV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event at 7pm BST, ahead of kick-off at 8.15pm.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action right here, with expert analysis from Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge.
Good evening!
17:45 , Matt VerriHello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea vs Manchester United!
It’s the Blues’ final home match of the season and it’s one they really need to win in their bid to secure Champions League football next season.
Good news for them is United can be expected to have at least one eye on their upcoming Europa League final.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 8:15pm BST from Stamford Bridge.
