Manchester United vs Bournemouth

Manchester United’s stuttering Premier League campaign continues at Old Trafford with a must-win clash against high-flying Bournemouth.

Brimming with confidence following a breathtaking late comeback against fierce rivals Manchester City (2-1) last weekend, Manchester United return to the Theatre of Dreams seeking redemption for a 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest last time out. A goal-glutted 4-3 defeat at Tottenham in midweek EFL Cup action might have dampened United’s optimism ahead of this clash, knocking them down from a two-game winning run in all competitions. However, the Red Devils can draw heart from racking up an eye-catching six wins from seven home outings (D1) before Forest’s shock triumph. Stranded in the bottom half of the table at Christmas for the first time since 1989/90, Ruben Amorim’s men can’t afford to drop points against Bournemouth. But it’s worth noting that they stare down the barrel of back-to-back home league losses for the first time since December 2023.

It’s hard to put it past Bournemouth to upset the apple cart in Manchester as they head into proceedings amid a four-game unbeaten league streak (W3, D1). Enes Unal’s sublime free-kick rescued a point for the Cherries in a dramatic 1-1 home draw against West Ham last weekend, marking a second successive league game in which they netted beyond the 85th minute. Andoni Iraola’s charges have rediscovered their feet on the road, going from a three-game winless away league run (D1, L2) to back-to-back victories against Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton, both of which saw them score beyond the 70-minute mark. Bournemouth can take further confidence from dismantling Man Utd 3-0 in this corresponding fixture last term to end a four-game losing streak at Old Trafford.