Carlos Tévez, the Manchester United forward, has taken a couple of pot-shots at Chelsea by declaring that they have “problems” and are under serious pressure to win the Champions League final tomorrow after being beaten - by a better team, naturally - to the Barclays Premier League title.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has been careful in trying not to antagonise Chelsea in the lead-up to the final, but, after comments from Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney about Didier Drogba's mental strength or lack thereof, Tévez poured more fuel on the fire yesterday when he suggested that, while United were riding into Moscow on the crest of a wave, Avram Grant's players were feeling the pressure.

“We are a better side than Chelsea,” Tévez said. “That is a psychological problem for them. They may say the Premier League is another story, another issue, but we're convinced that it will have an impact on what happens in the final.

“We are favourites and everyone knows it. We are not worried by Chelsea - we are concentrated and focused - but for them it is different. This is more than a final for them. Their whole season rests on the outcome of this game and I'm convinced that they have some problems in that team.

“We have no extra pressure. We are under pressure in every game and we feel an obligation to win every time we play. The manager is very happy that we have won the league, we know how seriously he wants to win the Champions League again.”

Ferguson has hinted once or twice in recent weeks that the only psychological burden that his players would carry to Moscow would be that of trying to win the European Cup 50 years after the Munich air disaster. Tévez says that the significance of the anniversary in February was not and is not lost on him and his team-mates.

“We all agree that it would be fantastic if we can commemorate what happened by winning the trophy and dedicating it to those people who died,” the Argentina forward said.

“At Wigan [after the 2-0 win that secured the Premier League title nine days ago], Sir Bobby Charlton told me how much he wanted us to win the Champions League and what it would mean to him. He was emotional and so was I.”

Tévez has described the match as “the most important of my career”, saying that “to win the Champions League is like being crowned king of the football world”, and, although he is one of several players who has been left to sweat on his place in the starting line-up against Chelsea, there have been murmurs from the United camp that he, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney will all start.

That would leave five players - Owen Hargreaves, Park Ji Sung, Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Nani - to compete for one place in the starting line-up, with Park and Hargreaves thought to be the favourites, depending on whether Ferguson opts for a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 formation. Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes are considered certainties to start in midfield.

Ferguson has admitted it will pain him to leave six of his travelling 24-man squad in the stands, with only seven substitutes to be named.

Gerard Piqué, the 21-year-old Spanish defender, is likely to be one of the unlucky ones and plans to complete a £6million move to Barcelona after the final.

The English invasion of Moscow began yesterday as the first of up to 50,000 football fans arrived for the Champions League final (Tony Halpin writes). The first charter flights carrying Manchester United and Chelsea supporters landed in the city to be met by officials herding people on to buses for a police escort to their hotels. The teams arrived yesterday evening and are due to train at the Luzhniki Stadium later today.

Police and city officials have put a massive security operation into action, claiming that 65,000 video cameras have been installed to monitor fans for any outbreak of trouble. Vyacheslav Kozlov, the Moscow deputy police chief, said: “Practically the whole city will be under video surveillance.”