After a season where much has not gone right for two of the biggest names in English football, Manchester United and Chelsea lock horns in the FA Cup 2018 final in Wembley to grasp a trophy in their respective last match of the season. The FA Cup is England’s oldest competition and generates a lot of buzz with fans. With two top teams in fray, the battle for supremacy will be intriguing as the margin for error is minimal in such a heavyweight tie. Both the sides have a lot of fan following here in India and the match will be shown live on Sony Network (Ten1 and Ten3) with start time being 9.45 pm IST. Apart from the live telecast of Manchester United vs Chelsea, the live streaming of the FA Cup 2018 final is also available online with the Sony LIV app. Read on further to get all the details from the match preview to predicted line up, team news, winner prediction and more.
Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte have both been under pressure due to their faltering teams who have been inconsistent and underperforming for most parts. While Chelsea have lost out on the Champions League place with a fifth-place finish in the English Premier League (EPL), Manchester United have been under the shadow of their noisy neighbours finishing nineteen points behind them in the second spot. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that the match in London is the season-defining moment for both the clubs.
Manchester United has concerns over the fitness of striker Romelu Lukaku who has been battling an ankle injury. The big Belgian has been out since limping off in the match against Arsenal, and his participation remains a worry. Without him, the Red Devils lack the cutting edge, and scoring goals does become a worry. There are also issues with the form of Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez, and no one can be sure how these two big names turn up on the day. The presence of David De Gea at the back for Manchester United does give them breathing space with Spanish shot-stopper at the top of his game although a fit-again Sergio Romero may get the nod over him.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have the attacking trio of Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro who on their day can rip apart any defense and the game against Manchester United at Old Trafford saw great link-up play between Hazard and Willian in the opening exchanges. The striker role is a toss-up between Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud with the Frenchman more likely to start as he did in the semi-final victory over Southampton.
Predicted Line up
Manchester United (4-3-3): Sergio Romero; Chris Smalling; Phil Jones; Ashley Young; Antonio Valencia; Nemanja Matic; Paul Pogba; Ander Herrera; Jesse Lingard; Alexis Sanchez; Romelu Lukaku
Chelsea (4,5,1): Thibaut Courtois; Victor Moses; Cesar Azpilicueta; Gary Cahill; Antonio Rudiger; Marcos Alonso; N’Golo Kante; Cesc Fabregas; Willian; Olivier Giroud; Eden Hazard.
Live Telecast and Live Stream Online Details of Manchester United vs Chelsea in FA Cup 2018 Final
Manchester United will take on Chelsea on May 19, 2018, (Prince Harry is going to miss the FA Cup final as he got married to Meghan Markle with the Royal Wedding taking place earlier in the day). The match will kick off at 9.45 pm IST on Saturday at Wembley Stadium. The live telecast of Manchester United vs Chelsea will be broadcast on Sony Ten 3, Sony TEN 3 HD, Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 1 HD and also be live streamed on Sony LIV app and followed online on SonyLiv.com website.
Match Prediction: Chelsea 1 Manchester United 2
Manchester United has the mental strength to come over this Chelsea lineup, but things will not be easy in the middle of the park. The two sides might cancel each other out in the midfield, but it is the strike department which will have a saying in the outcome of the match.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2018 08:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).