Chelsea vs. Manchester United: Prediction, Time, TV Channel
Chelsea will host Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals Monday, in a match that will kick off at 3:45 p.m. EST and be televised live on Fox Sports 1 with a live stream available on Fox Sports Go and Fox Soccer 2Go.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said he hopes to emulate his predecessor Jose Mourinho’s success at Stamford Bridge ahead of the two facing off Monday. Conte’s outfit will welcome Mourinho’s current side Manchester United to Stamford Bridge with the Italian still very much on track to end his first season in charge since replacing Mourinho with a Premier League and FA Cup double.
Mourinho’s second spell in charge of the London club ended in acrimony last season with Chelsea struggling close to the Premier League’s relegation zone. But Conte has stressed that his achievements will not be forgotten.
“For sure, he is one of the best in the world,” Conte said at his pre-match press conference. “I think that Jose Mourinho wrote a good part of the history of Chelsea. He won a lot with the players and he did a great job here. It is important not to forget this and I have great respect for him because he is a winner and I like his winning mentality.
“His history with Chelsea is great and I know very well he is in the hearts of the Chelsea fans and this is great because he deserves this. For sure, I hope in the future to try to emulate his wins here.”
Chelsea, which won the FA Cup under Mourinho in 2007, has a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League and goes into Monday’s encounter on a 10-match unbeaten run. A victory over Manchester United would give Conte’s men a club-record 13th consecutive home win in all competitions.
Mourinho, though, said ahead of the match that Chelsea has benefited from not having to cope with the extra games and travel brought on by being involved in European competition. A scenario he concedes he is at least in part responsible for.
“The most difficult thing is to have time to work and they have time to work,” Mourinho said. “I know he [Conte] said a couple of days ago or a couple of weeks ago that it is not his fault they are not in European competitions.
“It is my fault and the Chelsea players’ fault but the reality is that he got his hands on a situation where they have time to work, time to rest, time to relax, time to disconnect, time to travel, time to have holidays, time to go to America and enjoy America for a couple of days.”
In contrast, for Mourinho’s current side the match with Chelsea comes sandwiched in between two Europa League matches against Russian side FC Rostov. A near 4,000-mile roundtrip to Rostov Thursday saw Manchester United come away with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of its last-16 tie. And remaining in a competition that provides a place in the Champions League for the winner has become increasingly important given that United currently sit sixth in the Premier League and face a real battle to get into the top four.
While the FA Cup may currently fall below those two competitions on Manchester United’s list of priorities, there will be added motivation Monday following a heavy 4-0 defeat suffered when last facing off with Chelsea in October.
United will have to navigate the match, though, without a recognized striker. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will begin a three-match suspension for elbowing Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings, while Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are also ruled out because of either injury or illness. Conte has no injury worries with which to contend.
Prediction: Without Ibrahimovic, who has so often been the inspiration for Mourinho’s men this season, Manchester United face a real uphill battle to even take the quarterfinal back to Old Trafford for a replay. While it may not be as emphatic a scoreline as when the last time these two sides met, Chelsea is a superior team and should emerge victorious.
Predicted Score: Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United
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