Manchester United vs Bournemouth 31/12/18

31 December 2018

Manchester United welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking to secure his third victory as Man Utd chief of staff.

The Red Devils now chase their third consecutive Premier League triumph for the first time this season. The hosts come into this meeting following a 3-1 home win over Huddersfield, which was the second successive league match in which they’ve scored a minimum of three goals. However, a potential worry for Solskjaer could be that his players failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven competitive outings, conceding at least two goals per match four times in the process. However, the 3-time Champions League winners are unbeaten in their previous seven home games in the Premier League (W4, D3). With Arsenal preparing to take on Liverpool, Man Utd have a chance to close the gap on the Gunners to three points and return to the Champions League promotion race.

On the other hand, the visitors have lost three out of their last four Premier League outings, including the one to Tottenham Hotspur in midweek that has seen the Cherries suffering a disastrous 5-0 defeat at Wembley. What’s more, Bournemouth have suffered five consecutive losses on the road in all competitions, conceding at least two goals per match four times during the run. Also, the Cherries have failed to score on their last three road trips. Meanwhile, their defensive frailties have seen them concede in ten out of their previous 11 competitive meetings, with Eddie Howe’s men allowing a minimum of two goals per match seven times in the process.

Provisional line-up – Manchester United:

Gk: David de Gea Defense: Shaw – Phil Jones – Lindelof – Dalot Midfield: Matic – Pogba – Fred Attack: Mata – Rashford – Lingard

Provisional line-up – Bournemouth:

Gk: Begovic Defense: Ake – Steve Cook – Diego Rico – Daniels Midfield: Lerma – Brooks – Fraser – Stanislas – Surman Attack: Wilson