Bournemouth vs Manchester United

Vitality Stadium sets the stage for a tasty-looking Premier League showdown between Bournemouth and Manchester United.

Bournemouth surrendered a five-match unbeaten league run last weekend (W4, D1) when they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to relegation-battling Luton, leaving boss Andoni Iraola fuming at his frontlines. However, the Cherries’ bid to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League for just the second time in the club’s history is still alive, as they commence this matchday only two points behind 10th-placed Brighton. Closing that gap hinges on winning a fourth consecutive top-flight home game for the first time and, in turn, completing their first-ever league double over Manchester United following a stunning 3-0 win in December’s reverse fixture.

Keen to stop Bournemouth from fulfilling their agenda, Manchester United come into this contest in high spirits after holding title-bidding Liverpool to a 2-2 home draw last weekend. But Erik ten Hag’s men have failed to win any of their three league outings after March’s international break (D2, L1), effectively giving up their hopes of securing a Champions League finish. As if that’s not troubling enough, after a three-game winning league run on the road, the Red Devils have gone winless on their last three Premier League travels (D1, L2), conceding beyond the 90th minute on two occasions. On the bright side, they’ve emerged victorious from four of their last five top-flight visits to Bournemouth (L1).