Man United vs. Chelsea predictions: Who will win crucial Premier League battle at Old Trafford?

Manchester United will be aiming to bounce back from their defeat in the Manchester derby when they resume their Premier League campaign at home to Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim has again entered must-win territory due to the team's early-season struggles, and there will be major pressure on the hosts heading into this weekend's contest.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be aiming to recover from their 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, with the Blues losing for the first time during the 2025-26 campaign.

Here, the Sports Mole team predicts who will win the battle between the old enemies at Old Trafford.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Chelsea

I think we could learn quite a lot about Chelsea from this trip to Old Trafford.

I did not share much of the optimism about Enzo Maresca's side ahead of the new season, and I haven't seen too much so far to change my opinion. You can only read so much into a comfortable win over West Ham right now, they had an element of referee-assisted fortune in the win over Fulham, and other than that haven't impressed in their three other games.

That said, I don't think we need to learn any more about Man United, and that is why I am still backing Chelsea. Ruben Amorim's record since taking over is truly awful, and I find it difficult to back them against any team at the moment - as Grimsby are evidence of.

Chelsea's record at Old Trafford is remarkably poor - they haven't won there in the post-Ferguson era, when just about every other team has done so - and they haven't won back-to-back games against the Red Devils in the league for more than 14 years.

I expect both of those records to come to an end this weekend, and for the pressure to ramp up on Amorim even more.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Man United

For all of the criticism aimed at Man United this season, there have been a lot of positives in the early stages of their 2025-26 Premier League campaign, and they can win on Saturday.

Matheus Cunha's return to the fold is terrific news for the Red Devils, and the fact that Amorim's side have had a free week to prepare for this game should count for a lot.

It is likely to be tight, as Chelsea are a team to be respected, but the trip to Germany would have taken a lot out of the players, especially considering how physical Bayern are.

Man United simply have to bounce back from their latest disappointment in the Manchester derby, and their passionate supporters can help them claim a vital win over the Blues at Old Trafford.

Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - Chelsea

In spite of Man United's plight, Chelsea have not won a Premier League away game at Old Trafford since the Sir Alex Ferguson days; in fact, that 1-0 victory in May 2013 was in the Scot's penultimate home match in charge of the Red Devils.

Something about the Theatre of Dreams just fails to bring out the best in Chelsea, who will also be nursing fatigue from their Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, but they gave a decent account of themselves in Munich and now have the irrepressible Cole Palmer fit and firing again.

On the other side of the coin, nearly everyone bar Ruben Amorim can see that the Portuguese's system is failing, and unless he suddenly performs a shock U-turn on his ironclad stance, Manchester United will lose again.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Chelsea

Both Man United and Chelsea will enter this fixture after suffering a defeat in their most recent outing, but there are no doubts over which club is under more pressure to claim a positive result at Old Trafford.

It is fair to say that Ruben Amorim is on thin ice at present and can ill-afford to watch his floundering Red Devils outfit suffer yet another setback. A strong performance, but more importantly a win, is needed on Sunday, but it is difficult to back the hosts in their current state.

Chelsea themselves have been far from perfect at the start of this season, but they seem to have Cole Palmer returning to form and have a number of other attacking options who can cause Man United problems, including Alejandro Garnacho who may be available to haunt his former club.

A strong start could be crucial for the Blues to dictate the tempo of this intriguing contest, and considering that they look stronger as a collective compared to the Red Devils, I would not be too surprised to see Enzo Maresca’s men come away with maximum points.

Byron David, Reporter - Draw

Chelsea's midweek defeat to Bayern casts some doubt over whether they can get over the line at Old Trafford. The interesting bit is that they haven't won at Manchester United in the last 12 visits.

That means even through United's struggles last season, the home side still managed a point in front of their home fans. This fixture is also the most drawn in the Premier League, with a staggering 27 stalemates between the clubs, 14 of which came at this venue. It's for this reason that I reckon another deadlock is incoming.

Lewis Nolan, Reporter - Chelsea

Ruben Amorim is under immense pressure to turn Manchester United's fortunes around, but Chelsea will be confident that they can take advantage of Bruno Fernandes in midfield, so expect a tough afternoon at Old Trafford for the home side. Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Chelsea

Chelsea have been lacklustre and inconsistent so far this season, but Manchester United have struggled once again this term despite their high hopes.

Bryan Mbeumo has performed well for Ruben Amorim's side, but without Matheus Cunha to join him up top, the Red Devils' frontline is unlikely to paper over their midfield imbalance.

(written before Cunha's fitness for the match was confirmed).

Anthony Brown, Reporter – Man United

Ignore all the negative Manchester United press and focus on their strengths in counter-attacks and Chelsea’s supposed weaknesses in defending against quick breaks.

The Blues have not won at Old Trafford since 2013, and that streak has persisted despite the Red Devils being a greatly diminished force.

The fatigue of travelling to Bayern on Wednesday and a third away game in seven days should be too much for Enzo Maresca’s team in Manchester, and Ruben Amorim should find some joy at Chelsea’s expense on Saturday.