Chelsea vs Man Utd tactics: How can Jose Mourinho avoid an unhappy Stamford Bridge return?

Manchester United have conceded 14 league goals to Chelsea's five this season, scored five goals fewer, and under Jose Mourinho's management, lost their previous four away games at Chelsea.

A draw on Saturday would keep United within touching distance of the league title chasers and do wonders for Mourinho's wounded reputation. Losing would... not be good.

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Considering the circumstances - a seven point gap, growing pressure, fan unrest, alleged behind-the-scenes shenanigans - from what we've seen in past from the Special One in these kinds of situations, he seems highly likely to lock it down.

So how best to park the bus?

Taking care of Eden Hazard

Hazard has been given license to roam from his left inside-forward starting position and has taken control of games doing so, to the point that Maurizio Sarri upped his opinion from 'good player' to 'one of the best in Europe' in a few months.

Marcos Alonso's tendency to overlap and attack wide left gives Hazard the option of moving inside the pitch but, as we can see in his touchmap from the 0-0 draw with West Ham, he doesn't stay confined to any particular area.

Hazard has created 19 chances to score, assisted three goals and scored seven already this season and will be the focal point of Mourinho's pre-match preparations.

In previous games between the two clubs, United have switched to a back three specifically to shut Hazard down, instructing one player - usually Ander Herrera - to stay touch-tight to him throughout. If the Belgian roams as much as he did against West Ham, doing this would see United's shape pulled all over the place, leaving them vulnerable in defensive phases.

With astute positioning, excellent communication and intelligent defending, United's defenders could look after Hazard by passing responsibility zonally instead of using a man-marker... but if you've seen Man Utd defend in any recent games, you might see why that's wishful thinking.

Sarri's 4-3-3, like Pep Guardiola's, is dependent on players being in the right positions in each phase of play to facilitate quick passing moves and if United's shape can be disrupted by Hazard's wandering, Alonso, Willian, Olivier Giroud/Alvaro Morata and the attacking midfielders will all find the space needed to exploit weaknesses in the defensive structure.

Taking advantage of the high Chelsea defensive line

Chelsea employ a high defensive line in order to dominate possession in the opposition half and win the ball higher up the pitch. By keeping players closer together they're more likely to have passing options and have players in position so that if a pass does go astray, they can counter-press and regain possession quickly.

Under Antonio Conte, Chelsea sat deep with a back three and a defensive midfield two providing protection. Sarri's centre-backs push way higher up the pitch - sometimes past the halfway line - while the full-backs get forward to provide width. If United can get the distribution right they have the pace to get in behind.

In the 0-0 draw at the London Stadium, West Ham stayed compact in their own half and forced Chelsea to play around them, waiting for a chance to counter through Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Michail Antonio.

Here's an example from that match. Below, Antonio is able to get on the ball near the centre-circle as Mark Noble gets a toe to it and knocks it into his path. Alonso is tight to him, Jorginho tries to get close to Yarmolenko.

Antonio moves the ball quickly and steams forward while Anderson is able to sneak it around the corner of Cesar Azpilicueta.

Suddenly Chelsea's defence is exposed and West Ham have numbers running at them.

Antonio blasts over from inside the penalty area.

If Mourinho can get players like Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford in positions to counter-attack like these, there is every chance Man Utd exploit these situations. Romelu Lukaku is fast too and if he decides he feels like moving off the ball on Saturday, he can exploit space in behind the back line, offering an attacking out-ball for United's defenders when they need to get rid.

Limiting Jorginho's influence

Mourinho will likely employ a mid-block, inviting Chelsea to halfway before trying to win a tackle or intercept while they are transitioning to their attacking shape. This is where teams are most vulnerable to being countered and is a tactic Mourinho is a master of.

If Chelsea get past that press, United will probably drop into a compact low-block and hope Hazard and Willian aren't feeling too creative.

Rather than attempt to deny those players again and again, Mourinho might consider sabotaging Chelsea's buildup by marking a different player: Jorginho.

Jorginho has dictated the tempo of Chelsea games so far this season, seeing more of the ball than any other player in the Premier League:

Tackling or successfully anticipating Jorginho's passing might yield opportunities to counter in positions near the halfway line, something a forward line of Lukaku, Martial and Rashford should be ready to pounce on.

Paul Pogba's role could be key too. His distribution from deep will be important but his ability to carry the ball 50 yards at pace can turn United defence into attack while Sarri has players in advanced positions.

Game management

A little risk vs Sarri's teams wins prizes. Sometimes. Chelsea can be left vulnerable at the back for the same reason that they pose so much threat going forward.

Will we see United in a 4-5-1, sitting deep waiting to hit on the counter? Or will Mourinho surprise us all with an attacking 4-3-3, pressing Chelsea high to try and force mistakes in their passing?

The most likely is a mix of the two, weighted heavily to the former. The magnitude of this match may force Mourinho to make it as boring as he possibly can.

A secret weapon might be that United's players are tall and Chelsea's are not. If Fellaini and Nemanja Matic are fit, a midfield of Pogba, Fellaini and Matic - a combined nine miles of height between them - gives Mourinho an advantage when it comes to winning first and second aerial balls.

It's not pretty but it gets results... and a result is all Mourinho desperately needs from this game.