Fans have accused Joe Cole of ‘rage baiting’ after he made some controversial selections in his combined Chelsea and Manchester United XI ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge.
The two sides are battling each other for Champions League spots, with United sitting third on 55 points, while Chelsea have seven points fewer and find themselves sixth.
Liam Rosenior’s side have struggled in the league since mid-February, winning just once in their last seven league games and losing the last three.
United, meanwhile, will also be looking to bounce back following Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds United, which saw them lose at home for the first time under interim boss Michael Carrick.
Joe Cole Names Chelsea and Man Utd Combined XI
bruno fernandes-2
Cole raised eyebrows by selecting an all-Chelsea XI when asked to choose between Chelsea and Manchester United players for a combined side.
The TNT Sports pundit’s selections included Robert Sanchez over Senne Lammens in goal, Pedro Neto over Bryan Mbeumo on the right wing, and Cole Palmer over Bruno Fernandes at No 10.
Fernandes’ omission was perhaps the most surprising, given the Portuguese international is second in goal contributions (25) among all Premier League players this season.
The United skipper has eight goals and 17 assists to his name, with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland registering more goal involvements in 2025-26 with 29.
Palmer, meanwhile, has nine goals and one assist in the top flight. The Chelsea star has registered just one goal involvement in his last six games.
Joe Cole Accused of ‘Rage Baiting’
TV pundit Joe Cole walking at Selhurst Park
Football fans vented their frustration at Cole following his controversial picks, accusing the former Chelsea and West Ham winger of ‘rage baiting’.
One fan said: “Surely his is rage bait.”
Another noted: “Stopped listening when he chose Sanchez.”
A third added: “This ends the argument that you have to be good at football to know and be able to talk about it. Joe Cole was class at football, his opinion on it is the total opposite.”
Another said: “Genuinely what's the point in giving these ex players a mic.”
A fan concluded: “Anyone wanna show him the Premier League table?”
Both Chelsea and United will be missing several key players on Saturday, with the latter particularly thin in defensive options, with Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire all missing.
Michael Carrick Related
Man Utd in Crisis as Centre-Back Suffers Injury, Will Miss Chelsea Clash
Man Utd are in crisis after a fresh injury blow ahead of their clash with Chelsea.