Chelsea go into the match at Stamford Bridge having won just one of their last nine games in all competitions, but Vieira – speaking at his pre-match press conference – reiterated that he is more focused on the quality of the opposition.
The manager said: “It’s not the best time to play Chelsea [now], and it won’t be the best time to play [Manchester] United next week.
“Yes, Chelsea are a team going through a difficult period, but every team’s going [to go] through those periods in a season.
“We look at them and we’re not just looking at the last two or three games, we’re looking at their players, how well they’ve been playing, and in their last game against Fulham, the way they started the game – they started really well – so the quality of individual talent is there.
“The biggest mistake we could make is going on the field and thinking that we will take advantage because they are going through a difficult period. This is not the approach we will have on Sunday.”
