Manchester United put in a good performance at Stamford Bridge and yet they came away disappointed having dropped 2 points. A 90^th minute equalizer from Diego Costa after some shambolic football from Memphis Depay cost United a win. Although they’re not mathematically out of the race for the title, unless something overly dramatic happens, they have no chance of winning. Even the top 4 is going to be very hard now as they’ve fallen 6 points behind City. There were some positives to take out of the game though. Anthony Martial and David De Gea were very good yet again and Jesse Lingard continued his good run with a very well taken goal.

Sunderland will be buoyed by their result against Liverpool last weekend. They managed to salvage a draw coming from two goals down at Anfield. However, they need to ensure that they don’t let Adam Johnson’s off the field issues distract them.

With City taking on Spurs, United might be able to cut down the gap provided they are able to pick up the 3 points against Sunderland. These are three key battles that might decide the outcome of the game:

1. Wayne Rooney vs John O’Shea

Although the skipper failed to score against Chelsea, he scored 5 in his previous 5 league games. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s making a big impact on the game. His movement has been brilliant and he’s been linking up well with Anthony Martial. Former Red Devil John O’Shea knows all about Wayne Rooney having played together for 7 years at Old Trafford. He’ll have to be at the top of his game if he’s to stop Rooney from dictating things.

2. Jermain Defoe vs Chris Smalling

Jermain Defoe has been one of Sunderland’s main men this season so far. His goal against Liverpool at the weekend was his 10^th league goal of the season. His finishing ability is just terrific and he’s still keen to earn a chance to play for England at EURO 2016. He’s not going to find it easy going though against an in form Chris Smalling. Having the best season of his career so far, Smalling has been a defensive rock for Manchester United. At times when Blind has looked error prone, he’s provided effective cover. He’s been strong in defence, not shying away from a challenge. He did a decent job of handling the pesky Diego Costa against Chelsea at the weekend.

3. Juan Mata vs Lee Cattermole

Juan Mata is finding some form again and he was adjudged the man of the match on his return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday night. The Spaniard is United’s major source of creativity and it’s vital that he continues to perform. He’ll be up against a seasoned campaigner in Lee Cattermole. Cattermole is a classic Premier League player ready to get into scraps over every single ball. However, a playing style such as that does come with a poor disciplinary record. He’ll need to ensure Mata isn’t given any freedom and is always under pressure when on the ball.