Second-year Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will look to prove his squad is still invested in his project when it hosts Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea on Wednesday.
The seventh-place Red Devils (8-6-0, 24 points) saw their three-match Premier League win streak halted on Saturday in a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
And despite some strong recent league performances, disappointing results in the Uefa Champions League group stage have contributed to rumors of dissatisfaction within the squad.
Ten Hag insisted on Tuesday that such stories aren't based in reality, and that the effort shown in recent matches – despite mixed results – are proof his team has team bought in.
"The majority want to play like this – proactive, dynamic, brave – that is what they want," he said.
"You can see the players are behind it because of the performances against Everton and Galatasaray, we are really improving, we can't make the goal we did against Everton if the players don't embrace it."
🎙️ The boss continues: "[We have] showed great character, great determination and resilience.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 5, 2023
"We are together and you can see, you can't play such great football that we did lately if there is no unity." 🤝#MUFC || #PL
Man U won 3-0 at Everton two league games ago and settled for a 3-3 draw against Galatasaray owing to an uneven performance from goalkeeper Andre Onana.
But the Everton win represented only the second time Ten Hag's team had scored more than twice in a league match.
Bruno Fernandes and defender Scott McTominay are still leading the club with three goals each.
Chelsea (5-5-4, 19 points) enter the midweek slate three places back of Man U in the league table, but seemingly with more momentum following a 3-2 home victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on the weekend.
Part of those good feelings likely owe to the style implemented by Pochettino, whose squad has scored 20 goals in the last eight league games, earning 14 points in that stretch.
Enzo Fernandez scored his first two career EPL goals in the Brighton victory, and Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson have combined for 11.
Captain Reece James – injured for much of the early season – will be available after he served a one-match suspension against the Seagulls.
Those strong performances led a reporter to question this week what might have happened if Pochettino – who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur – had been offered the Man U job instead of ten Hag in April of 2022.
"I am focused on my club," Pochettino insisted. "We need to do better. It's a process I can explain but never compare with another club. We are building something we believe is going to be amazing, it is about a period of time and earning the thing we want."