BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton says he expects to earn the ire of Manchester United supporters after predicting that Erik ten Hag’s side will lose to Chelsea this evening.

Sutton says that, while he feels it will be a close game at Stamford Bridge, he expects the Blues to edge a narrow contest:

“I keep backing United to lose under Ten Hag, which is going down well with their fans – as you would expect – and I’ve probably got more stick incoming on social media with my prediction here. Their past four meetings with Chelsea have all ended in draws but this time I think there will be a winner, and I’m going with Potter to get it.”

“It will be close and the Blues are not exactly free scoring at the moment, but even I scored for them against United – it was my only league goal for Chelsea too – and, with Kepa Arrizabalaga in such good form, one goal might be enough.”

Sutton has gone with a 1-0 win to Chelsea, which is a scoreline that many United fans will disagree with, considering their excellent performance against Tottenham midweek.

It should be pointed out that ten Hag’s men have had two heavy defeats away from Old Trafford already this campaign, with the 4-0 loss to Brentford and the 6-3 defeat to Manchester City.

However, they have also picked up nine points from their other matches on the road, with victories over Southampton, Leicester and Everton. Chelsea are, of course, a level above those sorts of opponents but, following the Spurs game, they should be going into today’s fixture with a lot of confidence.