Manchester United vs. Chelsea is almost always the most tactically interesting match (or matches) of the English Premier League season, so it's worth keeping an eye on the two teams right after kickoff and seeing how they line up, because it's not always totally obvious and/or conventional.
Manchester United Vs. Chelsea Live, 2011 Premier League: Match Underway From Old Trafford
After Wayne Rooney made mincemeat out of John Obi Mikel in the fixture between these two teams at the end of last season, Andre Villas-Boas has opted to play Raul Meireles slightly out of position as a holding midfield player. It might sound a bit dangerous and unconventional, but what's the alternative? His athleticism will allow him to contain Rooney better than anyone else on the Chelsea roster.
This allows both Ramires and Frank Lampard to start and get forward in front of him, and that paid off early. Chelsea have registered the game's first shot on goal early, with Ramires forcing a good save from David De Gea in the third minute.
Head on over to Manchester United blog The Busby Babe and Chelsea FC blog We Ain’t Got No History for more on the two teams and this match. We’ll have coverage of the game and every other match in the Premiership this week in our English Premier League Week 5 StoryStream. For more on the entire world of football, bookmark SB Nation Soccer.
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