Why Chelsea will beat Rooney-less Man United in Saturday's title showdown, by Oliver Holt

By Oliver Holt in Mirror Football Blog

Published 11:58 02/04/10

• 

Arsenal didn’t need a dressing room after their epic with Barcelona on Wednesday night. They needed a field hospital.

Manchester United escaped their tie against Bayern Munich on Tuesday without quite as much damage but it didn’t feel that way when the final whistle went.

The sight of Wayne Rooney being helped from the pitch, unable to walk properly, sent a shiver through United and England fans everywhere.

As they watched on their television screens, the emotions of Chelsea players must have switched from envy to excitement.

Because even though they did not kick a ball in anger this week, events at the Allianz Arena and The Emirates swung the domestic title race in Chelsea’s direction.

I’m backing Chelsea to win in the title showdown at Old Trafford tomorrow now that Rooney’s missing. I think he’s that important.

It would be wrong to say that without him, United are an ordinary team. They’re much better than that.

But still, it is Rooney who has made the difference to them this season, Rooney who has dug them out of trouble on plenty of occasions.

Without him, they’re still a fine side but they are far more vulnerable, particularly to a team like Chelsea that is fresh from its 7-1 thrashing of Aston Villa.

Rooney brings an intimidation factor with him. He brings an aura. He spreads confidence in his own side and uncertainty in the opposition.

He was in unstoppable form until Tuesday and now United will have to try to find a way to play without him in their biggest match of the season.

They are fortunate that they have a striker of the quality of Dimitar Berbatov as a ready-made replacement.

But even though Berbatov has played well recently when he has been drafted into the side for lesser matches, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get.

He’s oozing with class but sometimes a strange kind of diffidence takes over and he disappears. That’s why he’s the most expensive substitute in the Premier League.

And Rooney’s absence will have given Chelsea a huge psychological boost even before they run out at Old Trafford.

It felt as though they were stuttering in recent weeks. The Champions League defeat to Inter Milan was followed by a draw with Blackburn Rovers.

But then Chelsea smacked five past Portsmouth at Fratton Park and seven past Villa.

It was crucial for Chelsea that Frank Lampard scored four of those goals because he is still the heart and soul of the midfield.

If his confidence is high, United may find it hard to stop the combination of him and Didier Drogba when Chelsea have the ball.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said today that he feared United might play even better without Rooney to prove they can still excel in his absence.

I don’t think it will work like that at Old Trafford. United will still be reeling from the way they threw victory away in Munich.

They also know they have a hell of a match on their hands in Manchester on Wednesday night when they play Bayern in the return leg.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a master at coaxing fine performances from his side when they need it most.

He’s got plenty of work to do with Michael Carrick this week because he had a particularly poor game in Munich.

But Chelsea have not got European competition to worry about any more. They do not have to worry about conserving energy or managing their resources.

So they’ll go for it at Old Trafford. They’ll give it everything they’ve got. And against a United without Rooney, that should be enough to get a result.

Who do you think will win Saturday's big showdown? Let us know by leaving a comment below...

Fancy winning £3,000 for FREE this month? Play Mirror Football Streak for your chance to win cash prizes! Start predicting now!