Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Manchester United are in desperate need of a turnaround. They have suffered consecutive 3:0 defeats to Bournemouth at Old Trafford in each of the past two Decembers. At present, it seems more likely that they will endure another heavy loss than come away with a win.
Manchester United
Andre Onana remains an unreliable presence in goal. The Cameroonian goalkeeper conceded six times across both legs of the Europa League tie against Olympique Lyonnais and let in four more against Newcastle United. Manchester United only progressed past the French club thanks to a bold tactical gamble by Ruben Amorim, who pushed Harry Maguire into a centre-forward role — a move that paid off when the former captain scored the decisive fifth goal at Old Trafford. However, such moments of fortune are unlikely to become a regular occurrence. In their most recent English Premier League match, Manchester United missed 10 of their 12 shots, while their opponents scored with one of their first meaningful attacks — a direct free-kick. Onana once again failed to impress, making just one save across the 90 minutes. Their attacking woes were exacerbated by a season-ending injury to Joshua Zirkzee. The squad was further weakened by the absence of key players, including Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, and Amad Diallo.
Bournemouth
This depleted squad will be vulnerable, and Bournemouth will be eager to capitalise. That said, they have struggled to convert their chances in recent rounds. Their only goal against Fulham came in the opening minute, when the visitors were slow to react and Antoine Semenyo capitalised on a simple attacking move. Against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth failed to make their numerical advantage count after a red card late in the first half. Kepa Arrizabalaga was only seriously tested in the match against Fulham, where he made seven saves. Crystal Palace didn’t manage a single shot on target.
Bournemouth vs Manchester United Prediction
The overriding concern for Manchester United remains the inconsistency of Andre Onana, who looks capable of conceding at any point. Meanwhile, the squad continues to waste attacking chances. These issues make a strong case that Bournemouth will avoid defeat. As for the total goals market, while the last four meetings between these sides have all seen over 2.5 goals, this fixture could just as easily be settled by a single strike. For that reason, the smarter play is Total Under 3.5 goals.
