A return to Premier League action awaits United this weekend as Ruben Amorim’s side face Bournemouth at Old Trafford, with the Reds hoping to quickly move on from midweek’s disappointing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Despite the defeat, United will take solace from their dogged display in North London which, at one point, looked like it could be the latest addition to the Red Devils’ large catalogue of comebacks.
The story of Thursday night’s cup tie in the capital could almost be a metaphor for the season (under Amorim, at least) – a rollercoaster of emotions which, by its end, posed as many questions as it answered. Without going further back than a single Premier League match day you can find a dramatic derby day win marred by Marcus Rashford essentially announcing his departure from the club.
Whilst there is cause for optimism, an air of uncertainty clouds both United’s on-field and off-field affairs at the moment. Where are our goals going to come from? What’s up with Lisandro Martínez? Was Dan Ashworth just a figment of our imagination? Can we send Atalanta another £19m for Amad? Etc. etc.
Luckily for us, this weekend’s visitors are also a bit of a mixed bag at the minute – this time last month, the Cherries fell to 10-man Brighton at home before a hat trick of Justin Kluivert penalties secured the points at Wolves which was followed up by a 1-0 win vs Spurs. In their last league outing, though, a spectacular last gasp Enes Ünal free-kick was needed to rescue a point against out of sorts West Ham United.
A win against Bournemouth would signal the first time United have recorded back-to-back league victories this season; the early Christmas present you were all hoping for, I know. Provided Fulham and Spurs don’t win, however, United could leapfrog Bournemouth into the dizzying heights of eighth place – this would still be a welcome change to last December when, instead of picking up three points, we conceded three goals and lost this fixture.
Manchester United Team News
Victor Lindelöf came off early in midweek and remains a doubt this weekend while Matthijs de Ligt could be back in contention after sitting out that same game with an illness. Mason Mount, meanwhile, is expected to join Luke Shaw on the sidelines for several weeks after his injury in the derby.
It remains to be seen what Rashford’s involvement will look like for the rest of the season – it is thought the United number 10 will be available but it’s anybody’s guess whether he will actually feature. In other news, Harry Maguire is one booking away from a suspension.
Bournemouth Team News
Five players are expected to miss out for the away side. Summer signings Luis Sinisterra and Julián Araujo are doubts alongside Alex Scott, Marcos Senesi and top assister Marcus Tavernier.
Predicted XI
Onana;
De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez;
Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Malacia;
Amad, Fernandes;
Zirkzee.
Form Guide
Manchester United All Competitions Form:
L L W W L
Manchester United Premier League Form:
D W L L W
Bournemouth All Competitions Form:
L W W W D
Bournemouth League Form:
L W W W D
Prediction
As mentioned earlier, United will hope for a very different result to last year but vengeance is unlikely to be served with an abundance of goals. Rasmus Højlund has all the tools to succeed as a striker but we’re yet to see him apply his attributes with any real consistency; a similar story can be told for Joshua Zirkzee who hasn’t quite found his feet at Old Trafford yet either.
United played themselves into the right positions plenty of times against Spurs but the finishing touch was lacking – only through a late corner and the antics of Fraser Forster did we find a route to goal. Whilst it doesn’t tell the full story, the simple fact is we have conceded the same amount of goals as 2nd placed Chelsea but scored fewer than 19th placed Wolves.
Bournemouth are in a similar boat with Kluivert being their top scorer in the league with only five goals – United’s is Bruno on four. That is why, in hope more than reason, I think the faithful in M16 are going to be treated to a return of 4-0 FC. There are positive signs under Amorim and, whilst results aren’t likely to be flawless over the winter, I think this team could explode into life a few times, with Amad the probable spark. A Maguire header to cap off a hat trick from the Ivorian.
Predicted score: Manchester United 4-0 Bournemouth