Premier League: Brighton Can Exploit Man United’s Ravaged Roster

Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton will be bidding to make it two wins on the bounce when they visit Manchester United this weekend at Old Trafford for their next Premier League matchup.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men have made a great start to their 2023-24 campaign with three wins and one loss to hold the sixth spot at the table. Meanwhile, the hosts are five notches below them because they recorded two wins and two losses.

The Seagulls have been a bogey team for the Red Devils in their recent encounters. However, Old Trafford has become a fortress under Erik ten Hag, so Manchester United are not to be counted out easily despite their on- and off-field issues.

Learn more about these two teams as SBOTOP previews this upcoming match.

Talking Points

Manchester United’s new boys can use this chance to step up

Erik ten Hag won’t have a complete cast once again because he will miss the services of Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, and Tom Heaton due to injuries.

Moreover, there’s a gaping hole in the right wing, as Antony will take an extended leave due to assault allegations, while Jadon Sancho is at odds with Erik ten Hag following his tirade when he was dropped out of the squad against Arsenal.

With these problems mounting, ten Hag will be forced to make drastic changes to the squad against the Seagulls.

Facundo Pellistri suddenly emerges as a viable candidate for the right wing spot, while we might get to see the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Rasmus Hojlund make their full debuts on Saturday, and all of them can contribute to the team.

Hojlund came off the bench against Arsenal, and he has shown glimpses of his full potential. The young Dane almost scored with his first touch six minutes in, and he bullied Arsenal centre-back Gabriel with his hold-up play minutes later, which almost led to a second goal by Marcus Rashford.

And during the September international break, Hojlund moved up to second in the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament scoring list with six goals for Denmark.

Amrabat, meanwhile, will beef up Manchester United’s midfield. He’s particularly great at progressing the ball because he’s in the 85^th percentile in terms of progressive passes at 7.00 per 90.

Fati could make his Brighton debut

Brighton are fresh from a 3-1 win against Newcastle United, thanks to Evan Ferguson’s hat-trick. Unfortunately for the Seagulls, the 18-year-old striker left the game with an injury, and the Premier League 2023 updates suggest that he won’t play against the Red Devils.

With Danny Welbeck also listed as doubtful to play, Brighton are going to be short in the no. 9 role, and they might consider starting Ansu Fati there, who arrived recently on loan from Barcelona.

Fati has fallen out of favour in Catalunya, which explains his switch to Brighton. But with Roberto De Zerbi coaching him and the likes of Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma in the wings, the 20-year-old may finally be able to find some success to reinvigorate his career.

History

Manchester United will stake their long unbeaten record at Old Trafford when they host Brighton this weekend. Prior to Saturday, the Red Devils hadn’t lost in 31 straight home matches.

Their last defeat at home was at the hands of, you guessed it, Brighton, who won this exact fixture last term with a score of 2-1, which was also Erik ten Hag’s first loss as Manchester United manager.

Brighton have won their last three league meetings with Manchester United, scoring six goals in the process. This is as many as they had in their first 17 league games against them (D2, L12).

Should Brighton beat Manchester United again, they will become the third team to defeat the Red Devils in four consecutive Premier League matches after Liverpool (December 2000–January 2002) and Manchester City (April 2013–November 2014).

Betting Tip 

Just like in their most recent encounters, the Premier League 2023 odds expect a tight affair between Manchester United and Brighton on Saturday. The Red Devils are at 2.09 odds to win, while the Seagulls are not far behind at 2.82, and a draw is priced at 3.75 in the 1X2 market.

While Manchester United are slightly favoured to win because they’ll be playing at home, it’s important to note that Brighton were the last team to beat them in a league game at Old Trafford, so this might be taken with a grain of salt.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.