Manchester United vs. Chelsea live stream: How to watch Premier League, odds, start time, news

How early is too early for a crisis to set in? Manchester United seem to be challenging conventional wisdom that a team might need more than five games under their belts to begin to panic, with Saturday’s clash against Chelsea presenting itself as yet another make-or-break match for Ruben Amorim.

A matchup with this version of the Blues, who have just two wins in five games across all competitions, might inspire some confidence in most teams, but a vulnerable Chelsea instead have the benefit of taking on an unstable Manchester United team. There will be an onus on Enzo Maresca’s side to notch the win many will expect of them, but in reality, the pressure is on his managerial counterpart Ruben Amorim to finally turn things around as his tenure with the Red Devils goes from bad to worse.

While United missed out on midweek EFL Cup action after their shock elimination by Grimsby Town in the second round, it was not enough time to erase the memories from their uninspiring 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday. Their latest defeat in the Manchester derby was a showcase for their consistently unorganized defense, now featuring shaky new goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, and raised real questions about Amorim’s tactical acumen, making Saturday’s match against Chelsea a high-stakes opportunity for the manager to prove his worth — or risk further damage to his reputation.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Chelsea, odds

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 20 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Old Trafford — Stretford, England 
• TV: USA Network | Live stream: Fubo
• Odds: Manchester United +170; Draw +260; Chelsea +145

A year has made quite the difference for Amorim, who was once considered the game’s next rising managerial star but has not done well to turn that potential into actual results. Turning this version of United around after years of mismanagement is no small feat and it would be unrealistic to expect the Red Devils to return to their former glory quickly but at this point, it is hard not to attribute some of their recent poor performances to Amorim. Even if many high-level managers are tactical ideologues who stick to a preferred style, Amorim is unusually inflexible – he is not inclined to switch out of a back three no matter the circumstances and his in-game management leaves a lot to be desired.

Take Sunday’s match at Manchester City as the most recent example of the growing criticism around his substitution patterns. United went down 2-0 early in the second half and though there were still about 30 minutes left on the clock when Amorim went to the bench, he did not exactly opt for attacking changes – Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo came on, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui going the other way. Maguire was seemingly viewed as a goal threat considering his reputation on set pieces, though that paints as dire a picture as any of how things are going for the Red Devils, and only reinforces the doubts about Amorim’s suitability for the job.

The promise of Amorim’s flawed first season in charge is that things would get better once players of his choice would make their way to the club, and United’s higher-ups obliged with a handful of summer signings. The fact that the Red Devils’ attack has not kicked into high gear despite the arrival of Benjamin Sesko, Matehus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo is another indictment of the manager’s vision for United. This trio may not have what it takes to make the Red Devils noticeably better than they were last season and if their manager is in the same category, yet another long season is ahead for United.