Manchester United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford this weekend in the Premier League with both sides coming off morale-boosting victories in the midweek round of fixtures. Read on for Last Word on Football’s preview and prediction as the Red Devils take on the Cherries.
Manchester United vs Bournemouth Prediction – Antony and Garnacho to Guide Red Devils Towards The Top Four
Start your day with another watch of @McTominay10's #MUNCHE winner 😍#MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 7, 2023
Erik ten Hag Hoping Team Can Build on Chelsea Performance
It cannot be underestimated how big the win over Chelsea was for Manchester United. There had been reports of the manager losing the dressing room, the performance against Newcastle was lackluster at best, and the recent draw with Galatasaray all but ended the club’s hopes of qualification in the Champions League.
However, there was real energy in the 2-1 win over the Blues and the scoreline was kind to the away side at the end of the final whistle. Results and performances have been inconsistent for the Red Devils all season but it did feel, not for the first time this season, that there may be something to build on after United’s first win over a side in the top half of the league table.
There are still concerns about the output from the forward players, with Scott McTominay saving the day with a brace against Chelsea, but it must be mentioned that Antony is performing as well as he has in a Manchester United shirt and Alejandro Garnacho is keeping Marcus Rashford out of the starting lineup.
After this meeting with the Cherries, it is Bayern Munich in Europe and away trips to Liverpool and West Ham so United have a tough run of fixtures, but with just three points separating the club and fourth-placed Manchester City, there is a chance to prove that this team is ready to compete at the top end of the table in the coming weeks.
Andoni Iraola Era Has Finally Erupted Into Life
It seemed as though the Bournemouth hierarchy had made a major error in letting Gary O’Neil depart and bringing in the former Rayo Vallecano manager. After failing to win in the first nine Premier League outings, securing just three draws, the writing looked on the wall for Iraola.
However, it is now four wins in the six league matches and the team looks unrecognisable from the early part of the season. This team is a real threat on the counter-attack and they will need to be just that to pick up a result at Old Trafford. Dominic Solanke is finally adding goals to his excellent all-round game and if he can continue scoring at his current rate, Bournemouth should steer clear of the relegation zone.
There are some favourable-looking fixtures ahead for the Cherries so they must seize any opportunities to steer clear of the bottom three. The jury is still out on the new regime and despite the promising run, we will have a better indication of how far this team has come by the turn of the new year. It would only take a couple of defeats for question marks to be asked of the manager once again, a feeling all too familiar to Manchester United supporters.
Recent Head-to-Head
Manchester United have an excellent Premier League record against Bournemouth, winning nine of the 12 encounters. Bournemouth have picked up two home victories, in December 2015 and November 2019. Bournemouth’s 1-0 victory in 2019, thanks to a goal from Joshua King, featured the likes of Nathan Ake, Aaron Ramsdale, and Callum Wilson in the starting lineup.
The Red Devils completed a league double over this weekend’s opponents without conceding a goal in the 2022/23 campaign. Casemiro, Luke Shaw, and Rashford were on the scoresheet in the 3-0 home win in January 2023 and the double was sealed with a 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium in May, with Casemiro once again popping up to be the difference between the two sides.
Manchester United vs Bournemouth Prediction
Having made a prediction that Chelsea would leave Old Trafford with three points, it is difficult to predict which version of Ten Hag’s side will make an appearance here. There is much more quality in this Manchester United side but Bournemouth have some talent in the forward areas that could give the home side some concern if they can catch them on the break.
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It should be expected that United will dominate the ball and they should find openings in the third-worst defence in the Premier League. The away side will be carrying some belief they can pick up a result here, but Antony, Garnacho, and Bruno Fernandes are in form and Bournemouth will struggle to contain them. Justin Kluivert, Solanke, Antoine Semenyo, and Luis Sinisterra are real threats and should provide something for the away fans to shout about.
Manchester United should just have enough with home advantage, but a high-scoring draw is a real possibility.
