Manchester United will be bidding to strengthen their grip on a top-four spot in the Premier League table when they welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The Red Devils moved into fourth courtesy of their 1-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, while Bournemouth will enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace.
Match preview
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Man United made it three straight Premier League victories, and five in a row in all competitions, when they recorded a 1-0 win over Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, with Marcus Rashford coming off the bench to score the only goal of the contest against Julen Lopetegui's side.
The Red Devils have now won four of their last five in the league, while they have lost just once since the Manchester derby at the start of October, with the strong run of form moving them into fourth spot in the table, just two points behind third-placed Newcastle United, who have played a game more.
Man United are also now only four points behind second-placed Manchester City on the same number of matches (16), while Tottenham Hotspur's home defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday means that they can move five points ahead of Antonio Conte's team with a victory on Tuesday night.
There is no getting away from the fact that it was a poor start to the season for the club, as they lost their first two league games to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, but they have won 10, drawn two and lost two of their 14 games since, and there have been huge positives under the management of Erik ten Hag.
Man United are preparing for four home games in succession, taking on Everton in the FA Cup, Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup and then Man City in the league after the clash with Bournemouth.
January is a huge month for Ten Hag's side, as they will also travel to Arsenal on the 22nd, while February will bring both legs of their Europa League knockout round playoff with Barcelona.
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Bournemouth, meanwhile, will enter this contest off the back of a 2-0 home defeat to Palace on New Year's Eve, with Jordan Ayew and Eberechi Eze on the scoresheet for the visitors.
The Cherries are currently 15th in the Premier League table, boasting 16 points from their opening 17 matches courtesy of a record of four wins, four draws and nine defeats.
Bournemouth have the worst defensive record in the league this season, having conceded 36 times, which will be a concern ahead of a trip to an in-form Man United on Tuesday night.
Gary O'Neil had been in charge of the club on an interim basis before being given the job permanently at the end of November, and it will be a huge challenge for the 39-year-old to keep the Cherries in the top flight.
Bournemouth spent five straight seasons in the Premier League before their relegation at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, but they finished second in the Championship last term to secure an immediate return.
The Red and Blacks suffered a 5-2 defeat when they last travelled to Old Trafford in July 2020, while they have never won away to the Red Devils throughout their history, with all three of their previous successes coming in front of their own supporters.
Team News
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Man United could have Lisandro Martinez back in their starting side for this match, as the centre-back will have had almost a full week of training following his return from the World Cup.
Luke Shaw has impressed as a centre-back in the team's last two games, but he could be moved across to left-back for this match, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka could keep his spot at right-back if Diogo Dalot is again ruled out due to a hamstring issue that he suffered at the World Cup.
Axel Tuanzebe is definitely out with a long-term issue, while Jadon Sancho (fitness) and Scott McTominay (illness) remain doubts for the 20-time English champions.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were both on the bench against Wolves after recovering from illness, and the duo might have to accept positions among the substitutes once again.
Rashford was dropped from the XI against Wolves after being late for a team meeting, but the attacker should be back in the side here, while Antony and Anthony Martial should retain their spots in the final third.
As for Bournemouth, Philip Billing is a major doubt for the contest, having been withdrawn in the first half of the defeat to Palace due to a hip problem.
David Brooks and Neto will also again be unavailable for selection, while the match is likely to come too soon for Ryan Fredericks, Junior Stanislas and Marcus Tavernier.
Siriki Dembele is likely to take Billing's spot in central midfield, but it could otherwise be the same side that took to the field against Palace, with Kieffer Moore and Dominic Solanke operating as the front two.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Eriksen, Casemiro; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Travers; Anthony, Smith, Senesi, Kelly, Zemura; Cook, Lerma, Dembele; Solanke, Moore
We say: Manchester United 2-0 Bournemouth
Bournemouth have the third-worst home record in the Premier League this season, and they will be facing a Man United side that have picked up 16 points from seven league games at Old Trafford in 2022-23.
There are always surprise results at this stage of the campaign, but we are finding it very tough to predict an upset here, instead backing Man United to continue their strong form with a two-goal success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
