Chelsea v Manchester United: Premier League – live

Pop quiz, hotshot: name the last time fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United in which both managers were English? The answer is 28 September 1986, when Kerry Dixon scored the only goal for John Hollins’ Chelsea and Ron Atkinson’s United missed two penalties. United stayed 21st in the league; Chelsea’s win lifted them to the dizzy heights of 17th.

Liam Rosenior and Michael Carrick have loftier ambitions, tonight and for the next month. Both are fighting to quality for next season’s Champions League – not least because, if they fail, there may not be a next season. We might argue that the pressure on Rosenior is premature and unfair, but it exists and it’ll increase if Chelsea fail to win tonight.

Both teams are in the middle of dodgy spells. Chelsea have taken five points from their last seven league games, United four from the last four. But United still have a seven-point Champions League cushion, so a draw would be an excellent result for them – particularly as they are without their four first-choice centre-halves.

A strength of Carrick’s management has been the use of appropriately shaped pegs and holes. Tonight, he may have to get creative.

Kick off 8pm.