Manchester United vs West Bromwich Albion
Manchester United play host to West Bromwich on Saturday but fans of the Red Devils are restless.
Having scored a late goal in the Champions League against CSKA Moscow thanks to Rooney, West Brom are known to cause trouble to the Devils.
Man U coach Louis van Gaal is under pressure amidst questions over his style of play which has ensured failure to score a single goal over three weeks in the Premier League.
For West Brom, three points could see Tony Pulis‘ men jump into the top half of the table.
The Baggies always seem to play United tough, losing just once in the sides’ last five meetings (W2, D2, L1). West Brom has also won the past two meetings at Old Trafford, as United’s last home loss was a 1-0 defeat to Albion in May.
West Brom are also one of only four teams yet to have scored in the opening 15 minutes of a top-flight game, although they come up against a United side who have hardly seen the goals flow in at home this season, with just seven in all – the same number as the Baggies.
Tony Pulis has perhaps been a little distracted by events that have been developing off the field this week, following the Football Association’s decision to fine him £8,000 for his recent misconduct.
Stoke City vs Chelsea
Chelsea will play without their manager on Saturday as Mourinho serves time for misconduct, as they take on Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
A one-game stadium ban administered by the FA means Jose Mourinho will not be able to attend or communicate with his players before, during or after the match at Stoke. That may or may not be a hindrance to the Blues (3-2-6) as they look to end a miserable run of results in the Premier League.
Chelsea are just shy of relegation and will try and retain the confidence they regained in their clash against Dynamo Kyiv last week.
Three defeats in the last four have seen Chelsea slip 14 points off the lead and 17 off their haul at this stage of last season, ruling out any possibility of back-to-back Premier League titles.
The Potters (3-4-4) have picked up 10 points from their last five games to recover from a disappointing start.
Manager Mark Hughes has tried to change the style of football played in the Potteries since taking charge in 2013, and the long-ball football synonymous with predecessor Tony Pulis has become a thing of the past in a squad packed with creative midfield talent.
However, not everyone is happy with the way the season has started, including striker Peter Crouch, who has featured for less than an hour in total and yet to start any of the club’s 11 games.
Stoke may be playing more attractive football under Hughes, but goals have still been in short supply, and their season haul of nine is a league low.