Manchester United (9th) face Brighton (10th) at Old Trafford in Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports, with just a point and a place separating the teams in the table.
Confidence has flooded back to United’s ranks following back-to-back wins over Sunderland and Liverpool, but they will need to be at their sharpest in order to overcome a Brighton side that have beaten them in six of the last seven meetings, including the last three at Old Trafford.
Manchester United vs Brighton Prediction & Tips
Danny Welbeck To Score @ 11/4 with Betway
Dat Guy Welbz is in electric form with two braces in his last three games, while he’s scored twice in his last four appearances against his old employers. He looks a decent price at 11/4 to find the back of the net once again – alternatively, he can be backed at 18/1 to claim his third two goal haul in four games.
Bruno Fernandes To Assist @ 4/1 with BOYLE Sports
No player has created more chances in the league this season than Fernandes (22), who brilliantly set-up Maguire for the late winner at Liverpool.
Both Teams To Score in Both Halves @ 17/2 with bet365
Expect goals at Old Trafford. Brighton have seen BTTS hit in 7 of their 8 league games this season, while managing just one clean sheet in their last 20 matches. United have also seen plenty of goals, with BTTS landing in 5 of their 8 games, and they’ve scored 7 times across their last 3 home fixtures.
Manchester United & Team News
Man United have stamped back-to-back league wins on the board under Ruben Amorim for the first time and will now be hopeful of making it three on the spin. They’ve been strong at Old Trafford, winning their last three home games, and will carry confidence from last week’s victory at Anfield.
Striker Benjamin Sesko has two goals in his last two starts but was benched against Liverpool. He came on for the last 30 minutes and will hope to return to the starting line-up on Saturday.
Harry Maguire is expected to retain his place after an impressive performance against Liverpool, though Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui are pushing for returns. Lisandro Martinez remains sidelined.
Brighton Form & Team News
Brighton are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, which includes wins against Chelsea and Newcastle, while earlier in the campaign they beat Man City.
They’ve only lost twice in their last 13 league games, although both of those have come on the road this season and they’ve not kept a clean sheet in the league this term. In fact, they’ve kept just one shutout in their last 20 games dating back to February.
The Seagulls will be without the trio of Solly March, Adam Webster, and Jack Hinshelwood, while the likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Diego Gomez, Joel Veltman, and Brajan Gruda face late fitness tests.
Head-to-Head Battles and What the Stats Reveal
Man United fans might want to look away…Brighton have become a real headache for the Red Devils, having won six of the last seven league encounters, including three consecutive victories at Old Trafford. A win this weekend would make them the first team in the Premier League era to claim four straight league wins on United’s turf.
Goals could be on the agenda again. Brighton lead the league for Both Teams To Score (yes), with seven of their eight games this season hitting that mark, including their last six in a row. They’ve also netted three goals in each of their last two trips to Old Trafford.
The Seagulls have a knack for late drama, too, scoring in the 84th minute against Newcastle, the 86th against Wolves, two stoppage-time goals against Chelsea, and an 89th-minute winner against Man City. United haven’t been shy with late theatrics either, bagging late winners against Liverpool and Burnley this season.
Key Battles on the Pitch
Harry Maguire vs Danny Welbeck
34-year-old Welbeck is in fantastic form and has a decent recent record against United. He gets better and better with age and will prove to be a real handful for Maguire, who himself continues to prove his value at both ends of the pitch.
Bruno Fernandes vs Carlos Baleba
Operating in a deeper role this season, Fernandes remains the heartbeat of United’s play, connecting midfield and attack. He’ll look to dominate the central areas against Baleba, who was linked with a summer move to Old Trafford.