Prediction: Manchester United vs Southampton

Having won just one of their last four league fixtures, Manchester United will be eager to see off their rivals for Champions League places and thus cement their top 4 position. Southampton recovered well from the four straight losses to take ten points from last four matches, and they arrive at Old Trafford in very good spirits.

Even if Manchester United have shown a great deal of improvement on the dismal start to the season, the reality is Louis van Gaal’s charges are still not playing to their potential. Numerous injuries to the playing squad certainly made it harder for the Dutch coach to get the results he wanted, but he is now set to welcome back a host of first team players ahead of the Southampton clash. The Red Devils seem to have suffered a dip in form of late, having only defeated Newcastle United and shared spoils with Aston Villa, Spurs and Stoke, while they were also far from impressive in the FA Cup triumph over Yeovil. If Manchester United are still harbouring title ambitions they need to see off top 4 rivals Southampton, although that is not going to be an easy task. While Angel Di Maria, Rafael and Luke Shaw have already returned into action, the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Antonio Valencia, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo should be in contention for the Saints clash as well. Several first team regulars will be recalled after they were rested against Yeovil.

Many believed that Southampton would start to crumble at the first sign of trouble in spite of their brilliant start to the season, but the Saints again proved the doubters wrong. The five-match losing run in all competitions came ahead of the hectic festive schedule, but Ronald Koeman’s charges then produced a great response. Southampton recorded comfortable wins over Everton, Crystal Palace and Arsenal while sharing spoils with leaders Chelsea to return to Premiership top 4, where they will remain regardless of the result at Old Trafford. But, with top 4 rivals Spurs losing and Arsenal facing a not so easy game against Stoke, the Saints are aware a good result against Manchester United would seriously improve their chances of clinching Champions League qualification. While top scorer Graziano Pelle is still misfiring, another important player Dusan Tadic has rediscovered his form, whereas Nathaniel Clyne and Jack Cork are set to return from injury. This means that Sadio Mane and Maya Yoshida are the only unavailable players at the moment.

Conclusion

Manchester United have been far from impressive of late and even if a number of important players return they will not have an easy job against in-form Saints. Southampton appear to be back at their best and they can certainly play their part in making this a highly entertaining encounter.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: William Hill