Chelsea vs. Manchester United Prediction: Clash of Premier League Titans

• Chelsea are targeting a top-five finish and Champions League qualification

• Manchester United’s full focus is on the Europa League final on May 21

• Chelsea are favorites to triumph in this game between two of the EPL’s big boys

Chelsea vs. Manchester United Odds

The odds for Chelsea vs. Manchester United can be found in the odds table below. The odds have been taken from the bet365 sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 when signing up and get $150 in bonus bets regardless of the outcome when betting just $5.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United Pick

Choose Chelsea / Chelsea in the half-time / full-time market. This should be a comfortable evening for the home team at Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea Have Work to Do in Bid for Champions League Soccer

With the Premier League title race over and the three relegation spots decided, all eyes are on the battle for a top-five finish in the final two weeks of the season in England. Liverpool are already guaranteed a place in the Champions League and Arsenal are on the verge of joining them, but there are five teams battling for the remaining two qualification berths.

Chelsea are one of the quintet. Newcastle United sit third on 66 points, followed by Manchester City on 65. Then come the Blues and Aston Villa on 63, with Nottingham Forest close behind on 62. There will surely be more twists and turns ahead over the next 10 days or so.

Chelsea and Aston Villa have the chance to move level with Manchester City on Friday. Enzo Maresca’s men take on Manchester United, with Villa set to do battle with Tottenham Hotspur. If those two matches go as the sportsbooks expect them to, things will get even tighter in the fight for Champions League soccer.

Chelsea have got themselves back in the mix in recent weeks having previously appeared to be losing steam. Between the end of February and May 4, they won six and drew two of their nine Premier League matches. That arrested a slide that had threatened to derail Chelsea’s campaign. 

However, Maresca’s side hit a bump in the road last weekend. They fell behind to Newcastle early on, then had Nicolas Jackson sent off in the 35th minute. Chelsea actually played well with 10 men, but they could not find a way to equalise and then conceded late on. A 2-0 loss at St James’ Park means they still have plenty of work to do.

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Manchester United Waiting for End of Premier League Season

Manchester United have nothing to play for in the Premier League. For some time now, they have had all their eggs in the Europa League basket. United will face Tottenham in the final of that competition on May 21, with the winner ascending to next season’s edition of the Champions League.

Neither team deserves it given how poorly they have been in the league this season. Remarkably, Tottenham are 17th and United are 16th. The Red Devils finished eighth in 2023/24 and that was their lowest finish in the Premier League era. Needles to say, they are on course to plumb new depths this season.

When Ruben Amorim took charge in November, United were four points shy of the Champions League spots. Now they are 24 points adrift of Chelsea in fifth. Amorim may have steered United to a continental final, but he has made little impact in the Premier League. That is concerning, including for the man himself.

"For me the biggest concern is that feeling that 'it's OK', and 'we cannot change our position so much so it's OK'," Amorim said after a 2-0 home loss to West Ham United last weekend. “That is the biggest problem in our club in this moment because we are losing the feeling of we are a massive club and it's the end of the world to lose a game at home. I think that is the biggest concern in our club.”

United could do with a pick-me-up victory at Stamford Bridge ahead of next week’s all-or-nothing clash with Tottenham in Bilbao.

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Hard to Look Past Chelsea in Friday Night Clash in London

There is a difference between the levels of motivation held by Chelsea and Manchester United. For the former, this is a crucial match that could determine whether or not they qualify for the Champions League. For the latter, the key goal on Friday will be to avoid picking up any injuries ahead of the Europa League final.

Indeed, Amorim is unlikely to name a full-strength side at Stamford Bridge.The players that do start may not play with quite the same edge as they would in a must-win match. Will United players go all-in to 50-50 challenges and risk getting hurt ahead of the showdown with Spurs?

Chelsea are also a much better team than United, as a quick glance at the Premier League table will reveal. They are strong at home - only Liverpool and Manchester City have collected more points in front of their own fans - and have won seven of their last eight league games on familiar turf.

Go for Chelsea / Chelsea in the half-time / full-time market. Manchester United have a dismal record from minutes one to 45, with Southampton and Leicester City the only teams who have fared worse in the first half of matches. Amorim’s side may well find themselves behind at the break and, with their attention elsewhere, it would be a long way back from there.

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How to Watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United

• Teams: Chelsea vs. Manchester United

• Location: Stamford Bridge, London, England

• Date and Time: Friday, 16 May 2025, 3:15 PM ET 

• How to Watch: Peacock Premium