Arsenal legend Paul Merson has backed Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag to engage in a tight technical battle in their upcoming Premier League meeting. He further warned Ten Hag he could be in big trouble if he suffered defeat in his next two matches against Chelsea and Liverpool.
Paul Merson Says Chelsea vs Manchester United Is Not A Big Game Any More
Chelsea and Manchester United are two of the most popular soccer clubs in the world. However, due to recent struggles, the stakes of their matchups have been scraping the bottom of the barrel. While the Blues are in 12th place in the rankings, the Red Devils are sitting in sixth. Neither club have a realistic shot at qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
On Thursday (April 4), Chelsea and Manchester United will meet at Stamford Bridge, hoping to return to winning ways after failing to impress over the weekend. The Pensioners were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Burnley, while the Mancunians somehow came away with a 1-1 draw from Brentford.
Previewing the game in his Sportskeeda column, Merson claimed it was not a top fixture on the English calendar anymore, as neither team were competing for the title.
He said:
“Manchester United are a million miles away from the likes of Liverpool at the moment. Liverpool have kids playing at times, and United are still so far behind them.
“Their performance against Brentford was very worrying, and they’re going to have to make a decision at the end of the season. Are they going to give Ten Hag another chance? I’m not sure.”
Merson added:
“It’s very difficult to predict this game. It’s not even a big game, is it? This used to be a mouthwatering fixture. Now, one of these teams got ripped to shreds by Brentford, and the other wasn’t able to dominate a ten-man Burnley side.”
Paul Merson Backs Mauricio Pochettino To Best Erik ten Hag
The Englishman speculated that the game may ultimately boil down to the managers, and he put his money on Pochettino to come away with a 2-1 victory and put pressure on Ten Hag.
Merson added:
“This is a manager’s game, if I’m being honest. Neither team would want to lose this football match. If Ten Hag loses this game and suffers another defeat against Liverpool next week, he’ll be under massive pressure.
“Chelsea have the home advantage, but they’re not really dominant. It’ll be a big worry if they don’t beat Man United, because Chelsea fans will remember what Brentford did to United. This won’t be an easy encounter, but Chelsea should be able to win this game. I’m going for 2-1.”
Manchester United and Chelsea have faced each other 194 times so far. United have won 83, Chelsea 55, while 56 ended all square.
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