MONDAY

CHELSEA 0-0 MAn UTD 7.30pm

By the time this fixture comes around, Guus Hiddink will have had his first game and assessed the nature of the crop of players he has inherited from Jose Mourinho. Most probably, the man in the technical area of the visiting side will not be Louis van Gaal but an interim manager like Ryan Giggs. If this happens, the dice will be wide open.

When he took on that challenge in 2009 after Luiz Felipe Scolari’s departure, he lost only one of his 22 matches in charge and signed off triumphantly at Wembley Stadium with an FA Cup final victory over Everton.

However, while he watched Chelsea players take to life after Mourinho with a convincing win over Sunderland, Manchester United have hardly had anything worth writing home about. The Red Devils have no strike force and have been using Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini up front. Anthony Martial, their only hope, looks to be tired and seemingly playing with quite some many clueless players, especially in the final third.

But the return of Ander Herrera could be the boost for Manchester United in this game, while Bastian Schweinsteigger also returns from a three-game suspension for violent conduct. The final question is, will Hazard perform?

OTHER FIXTURES

SWANSEA 2-0 WEST BROMB’MOUTH 1-1 PALACEVILLA 0-2 WEST HAMCOLOGNE 3-1 DORTMUNDNEWCASTLE 2-0 EVERTONWEST BROM 1-2 NEWCASTLEWatford 2-2 SPURSNORWICH 5-1 VILLAEVERTON 1-2 STOKEPALACE 3-0 SWANSEAWEST HAM 1-2 S’THAMPTONARSENAL 1-2 B’MOUTHLEICESTER 3-1 MAN CITYSUNDERLAND 0-3 LIVERPOOLBRENTFORD 1-3 BRIGHTONBLACKBURN 0-2 M’BROUGHMK DONS 0-3 CARDIFFIPSWICH 3-0 QPRWOLVES 2-2 READINGDerby 2-0 FULHAM

jacobs.seaman@newtimes.co.rw