Chelsea and Manchester United, two of the biggest hitters of the Premier League era, meet for the first time this season at Stamford Bridge. With a host of clubs vying for places at the top of the table, it already appears a six-pointer. The fourth-placed Blues could open a handy gap above Man United in fifth with a win, and both have a game in hand on Tottenham just above.

The last 5.30pm Saturday evening kick-off in the league at the Bridge was a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa more than 13 months ago. This is Chelsea’s second appearance of the campaign in the time slot following a 1-0 win at Everton on the opening weekend.

Little did Graham Potter know as his Brighton side won 2-1 to ruin Erik ten Hag’s United bow the next day that he would face the Mancunians sporting a different shade of blue two-and-a-half months later. The head coach is unbeaten in eight since making the switch to Stamford Bridge.

Glamorous as it remains, Chelsea-Man United is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with each of the last four meetings, six of the past eight, and 25 games overall finishing level. The Londoners are now without a win in nine matches against the Red Devils but have not lost to them in four.

Form-wise, Chelsea have claimed three consecutive league victories at Stamford Bridge, and although Manchester United appeared to have lost their aura with seven straight losses on the road at the end of last season and start of this one, they have rallied well to win three of the last four.

A sub-plot to this clash of heavyweights will be the performance of two former Spain goalkeepers in fine domestic form (but yet to be selected by current international coach Luis Enrique). While Man United’s David De Gea has managed three successive shut-outs on all fronts, Kepa Arrizabalaga has secured five in a row, claiming his 50th clean sheet for the Blues in Wednesday’s 0-0 at Brentford.

Chelsea team news

On Saturday evening Graham Potter defends his unbeaten start for just the second time in the league at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues have not suffered defeat since April.

Despite the clean sheet and valuable point taken from the trip to Brentford, Potter must still be mulling whether he has found the right balance in the continued absence of Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana.

Unless the Blues switch to a back four it seems likely Ruben Loftus-Cheek will continue at right wing-back while Ben Chilwell could resume on the left after a midweek rest. Thiago Silva also sat out the west London derby and seems likely to return at the heart of defence.

Potter will hope the illness prompting Conor Gallagher’s early exit on Wednesday does not restrict his pressed resources in midfield, likely to be a key battleground against Manchester United.

On the positive side, Carney Chukwuemeka’s energy and trickery took the game to Brentford and a full debut for Armando Broja, who regularly troubled Ben Mee, meant rest for regularly starting forwards. One of those, Raheem Sterling, will aim to break his duck against United after 23 appearances and 15 shots on target without finding the net.

The Blues have scored in each of the past 20 Premier League matches at the Bridge, scoring 40 times – the best such run since May 2016-August 2017 (23 matches).

Erik’s Red Devils

Erik ten Hag will not have forgotten a night of beautiful chaos at Stamford Bridge in 2019: the 4-4 draw shared with his Ajax side, which included current Man United players Donny van de Beek and Lisandro Martinez. His team led 4-1 until two players lost control and were sent off, and could easily have lost.

However his tactical approach at Old Trafford is different from at the Amsterdam club. At the moment Man United set up to clear the ball from the back, aiming to regain possession as high as possible and pin opponents back.

At their best when injecting pace into attacks, they have talents who can be devastating, such as no.10 Bruno Fernandes, off-the-cuff left-footer Antony, and left-winger Jadon Sancho, not to mention Marcus Rashford, though the now 37-year-old Ronaldo will not be involved this weekend for disciplinary reasons.

In recent weeks Casemiro (who figured for Real Madrid against the Blues last season) has become the central lynchpin, Scott McTominay missing out. Graham Potter will no doubt devise special measures for the 30-year-old, whose presence has not extinguished United’s at times vulnerability to rapid breakaways.

Outscored away from home by nine goals to three over the opening 45 minutes, the Red Devils have let in just two after the break. Only Nottingham Forest (14), Bournemouth (18) and Leicester (19), though, have conceded more times away from home than the Mancunians (11). They have lost their last three away league trips to the capital.

Ten Hag may be able to recall Anthony Martial after injury but Harry Maguire remains sidelined.

Top-six tussles

This is the eye-catching Premier League fixture of the weekend and, with the Liverpool game in September having been postponed, only the second ‘top-six’ match of Chelsea’s campaign. The first was the derby with Tottenham, which the Blues dominated but drew after a controversial late equaliser.

For Man United it will be the fifth, and so far they have risen to the challenge, racking up 2.25 points per game against the leading lights compared to 1.90 over the campaign as a whole. At home, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham in midweek have been swept aside, but on the road they were thrashed 6-3 by neighbours City. Their most recent trip to west London, at Brentford, finished in a 4-0 loss.

Unconquered coaches

The 0-0 draw in midweek at Brentford extended Graham Potter’s unbeaten start at Chelsea to seven games, the 10th Blues boss to do so.

Unbeaten starts (all competitions)

Pre-World Cup workload

At this stage last season Chelsea knocked seven past Norwich at the Bridge in what was our 14th match of the season, including the Super Cup. Manchester United’s visit will be our 15th game of 2022/23. With seven more to complete by mid-November, though, the tally will rise to 21, compared to 18 at the same time last year. That said, there have been two fewer batches of FIFA internationals for most players.

Looking ahead…

Tuesday’s alpine adventure at RB Salzburg could be decisive. Victory in Austria would throw Chelsea’s hat into the Round of 16 draw; even a draw would suffice should AC Milan win at Zagreb. Wins for the Blues and Dinamo would secure a top-place finish and seeding in the draw, and allow the Blues to rest players in the final group game.

Happy anniversary, George II

This weekend is the 40th anniversary of the ‘Gatling Gun’ George Hilsdon weathervane being unveiled for the first time before a 3-1 defeat of Charlton on 23 October 1982. The 13-foot high wind indicator, an exact replica of the circa 1912 original modelled on Chelsea’s first 100-goal striker and lost during the mid-1970s redevelopment, is still just about visible in the middle of the East Stand roof.

Rainbow country

Chelsea and other Premier League clubs will show support for members of the LGBTQI+ community and inclusion over the next two weekends. This year’s Rainbow Laces campaign focus is ‘inclusion has no off-season’

Matchweek 13 Premier League fixtures

Saturday 22 October Premier League fixtures

• Nottingham Forest v Liverpool 12.30pm (BT Sport)

• Everton v Crystal Palace 3pm

• Man City v Brighton 3pm

• Chelsea v Man Utd 5.30pm (Sky Sports)
  

Sunday 23 October Premier League fixtures

• Aston Villa v Brentford 2pm

• Leeds v Fulham 2pm

• Southampton v Arsenal 2pm (Sky Sports)

• Wolves v Leicester 2pm

• Tottenham v Newcastle 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

Monday 24 October Premier League fixtures

• West Ham v Bournemouth 8pm (Sky Sports)