According to latest sports gist the Blues can take another step towards lifting the title with victory this afternoon against an opponent that they have not lost against in any of their last 12 meetings.
United may boast a 21-game unbeaten run in the top flight but they have drawn 10 of those, including five out of six on home soil in 2017, and are now left battling for a spot in the top four.
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OFFICIAL LINE-UPS
MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Rojo, Darmian; Fellaini, Herrera, Young, Pogba, Lingard; Rashford
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Blind, Fosu-Mensah, Shaw, Carrick, Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic
CHELSEA: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard
CHELSEA SUBS: Eduardo, Zouma, Terry, Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Willian, Batshuayi
18 min CLOSE! Rashford and Lingard link up on the edge of the box, with the latter then playing in Young down the left. The winger went for one of those shot-cross attempts, sending the ball inches wide of the post.
17 min Chelsea showing signs of growing into the match a little more over the past few minutes. Costa did well to hold off Bailly and then fell over, but somehow conned Bobby Madley into awarding a free kick.
15 min Things threatening to boil over for the first time today, and there is little surprise to see Costa the man at the centre of it. Costa fails to get to a high ball and decides to shove over Bailly, who was unhappy with the excessive contact.
13 min Chelsea not dealing with that injection of pace up top very well at all. Rashford looking to peel off Cahill and Luiz at every chance, much like with that opener when springing on to a fine Herrera through-ball.
11 min Big challenge from Cahill to prevent Rashford from getting in behind for a second time. The England forward has now scored in back-to-back league games for the first time since September 2016 - a return to his form of last term's breakthrough.
9 min Rashford was handed a rare start through the middle this afternoon, and he has rewarded his manager with United's earliest Premier League goal of the season. A contentious one, though, as a handball in midfield started the attack, which ended with Rashford played through and superbly tucking past Begovic.
8 min GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 CHELSEA (MARCUS RASHFORD)
7 min The first half-chance of the afternoon falls the way of Rashford, who snatches at his attempted shot. Good harrying from both him and Lingard in attack to create the opening, which he should have been testing Begovic from.
5 min The visitors happy to take a more defensive approach in these early stages, which will no doubt please Mourinho. The Portuguese has put his former side's likely title success down to being the 'best defensive team' in the division.
3 min Chelsea looking to put together the first serious attacking move of the match as Hazard finds some space, but his attempted pass is well cut out by Fellaini 40 yards from goal. The hosts now knocking the ball around in defence and midfield.
1 min KICKOFF! We are up and running at Old Trafford in this standout fixture of match week 33 in the Premier League. As predicted, Azpilicueta has been shifted to the left flank to accommodate the late introduction of Zouma in central defence.
