Ferguson braced for Chelsea challenge

Sir Alex Ferguson expects the same old rivalry but with a new twist when Manchester United face Andre Villas-Boas’ Chelsea on Sunday.

A buoyant United head to Stamford Bridge level on points with Manchester City at the top of the English Premier League table, and will be looking to increase the pressure on their neighbours and rivals with victory in west London.

Ferguson’s team can take confidence from five wins in their last six matches against Chelsea in all competitions, but have not beaten them away from home in their last nine meetings, a run stretching back 10 years.

“It’s not an easy game going to Stamford Bridge, 2002 is a decade but in that period, Chelsea have risen to prominence,” he said.

“In the last seven years we’ve battled with them for league titles so therefore we expect it to be a hard game and it will be a hard game.”

“The last seven years have been battles with Chelsea. The previous decade it was Arsenal. There’s been terrific battles between the two of us. It’s been nip and tuck for several years.”

In their three consecutive matches against the promoted sides, Chelsea have dropped points against both Swansea and Norwich and are hardly in threatening form.

However, Ferguson knows former Porto manager Villas-Boas needs time to consolidate a squad which is undergoing its most significant transformation since Roman Abramovich’s first season as owner.

“It’s a new manager with a new way of play. You can see his team – he’s brought three different players and I noted when we played them in the home game they had changed their style from the previous Chelsea teams,” Ferguson said.

“When a new manager comes in it’s always a problem after someone so successful as (Carlo) Ancelotti and change will take time.”

“If he wants to play his way, then let him. Everyone has their own way and philosophy of doing things and I think that’s what we’re seeing with Chelsea at the moment.”

With as many as 11 players missing from the United side that defeated Stoke 2-0 at Old Trafford last Tuesday, Ferguson is now holding out for some good news on the injury front.

“We hope that (Wayne) Rooney, Nani, (Ashley) Young and (Tom) Cleverley will all be in the squad,” he said.

“Obviously Young has been out for a few weeks and Cleverly has been out for a few months.”

“Hopefully Rooney and Nani are okay. They’ve trained in the last two days so we’ll see what they’re like today.”