Verdict: Manchester United to win to nil
Best odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Bet 365
Huddersfield Town entertain unbeaten Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they try and break out of their winless run.
Huddersfield
After a bright start to the season, Huddersfield find themselves winless in their last six games but still sitting 12th in the Premier League. Perhaps even more worryingly for David Wagner’s men is the fact they have only scored once in those matches. It’s not even that they’ve faced tough opposition in those fixtures either, with draws against Leicester and Burnley accompanied with defeats to West Ham, Crystal Palace, Swansea, and, perhaps more forgiving, Tottenham. Plus, when you consider the Terriers have conceded 10 goals to these teams, it’s even more concerning. Wagner will be well aware that his team need to start inserting more of an input in games, but it’s hard to see where any points are going to come from. After Saturday’s match, they face Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in the next five fixtures, however, they might take encouragement from Crystal Palace’s shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge last week. It’s going to be tough for Town to get anything out of the game on Saturday and they’ll be happy with a point.
Team News
Stevie Mounie and Colin Quaner will face late fitness tests.
Kasey Palmer and Michael Hefele are out for a further month and Philip Billing is out with an ankle injury.
Manchester United
After last week’s uninspiring 0-0 draw with Liverpool, Manchester United find themselves two points behind rivals Manchester City. Manager Jose Mourinho came under fire for his defensive approach against the Reds, and after the drab 1-0 midweek win over Benfica, he will be under pressure to deliver a much improved attacking display on Saturday. However, it is now 12 matches unbeaten for United, having won seven of the last eight games, and keeping six clean sheets in the process. Mourinho’s men will be happy where they are in the table, but they know they cannot afford any slip ups, especially with City looking every bit like champions at the moment. The Red Devils will be confident of grabbing three points from a Huddersfield team struggling for goals, and they could be the first team in history to keep eight clean sheets in their first nine games if they manage another one on Saturday. Romelu Lukaku is likely to be the man who makes the difference after netting 11 times in 12 matches and is rapidly proving why United paid £75 million for him in the summer.
Team News
Marcus Rashford is a doubt after picking up a knee injury in the match midweek.
Victor Lindelof could make his Premier League debut if Phil Jones misses the game.
Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini and Eric Bailly will also miss the match.
Key Factors to Consider
- The Terriers have won 10 and drawn 15 of their 45 matches with the Red Devils
- United are undefeated in their last 11 matches against the Terriers
- Since losing 4-0 to Chelsea in match day 9 last season, Mourinho’s men have conceded fewer goals (19) and kept more clean sheets (21) in the league than any other team in both seasons
- Huddersfield have failed to score in four consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since 2004
- Lukaku has scored a goal every 136 minutes against teams outside the top-six since his arrival to the Premier League
Conclusion
It’s hard to see past a Manchester United win here. Even when they aren’t scoring goals, they still manage to find a victory. When you combine that with Huddersfield’s struggle to find the net, then it must be three points for the Red Devils.
Verdict: Manchester United to win to nil
Best odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Bet 365
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