Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho must break his own rules against Chelsea

                            

The Red Devils entered the clash against Tottenham at Old Trafford under a bizarre sense of negativity given the club have lost just one match this season and there was a palpable sense of relief at the final whistle after Martial gave his side a slender 1-0 win. Mourinho was unhappy with the criticism of his side’s style of play after a bore draw at Anfield in October and, though United were more adventurous against Spurs, anything but a win would have increased the pressure on the Special One.

The Portuguese boss – as shown by his ‘shushing’ gesture at the final whistle – felt vindicated by the victory and it has likely strengthened his resolve in terms of how his team should line up against title rivals. However, the biggest problem for Mourinho at this moment in time is Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s high-flying side are testing United fans’ support of Mourinho’s tactics. Not because he’s not trusted but because City are blowing teams apart each week with the same unwavering belief in their attacking ability.

                            

Mourinho insists he’s only focusing on his own side at this point of the season but the self-proclaimed Special One is likely to have one eye on Manchester City’s clash against Arsenal two hours before his side take on Chelsea on Sunday. City hold a five-point advantage before United’s trip to Stamford Bridge and the Red Devils will likely need a win to maintain pressure on Guardiola’s side. Mourinho would likely take a point against his former side but United cannot afford to lose ground in the title race and must attack a vulnerable Chelsea

How Manchester United should line up

Mourinho opted for three at the back against Spurs last weekend and could be tempted to do so against given Antonio Conte tends to favour wing-backs. However, that would signal that United are paying more attention to Chelsea than they are themselves and the Blues shouldn’t be given an opportunity to regain their confidence after a demoralising week. Roma, on the back of a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge, dismantled Chelsea in their own backyard on Tuesday by offering Conte’s men little in the way of respect. The Italians could have won by a bigger margin on the night and Chelsea’s defending left little to be desired at the Stadio Olimpico. N’Golo Kante is likely to give Conte a much-needed boost by returning to the side on Sunday but Stamford Bridge will be nervous and United must exploit Chelsea’s lack of confidence.