All eyes will turn to west London when Manchester United travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in the Premier League. This is the first game away from Old Trafford for Ruben Amorim’s men this season, and he will know his side face a stern test inside an electric atmosphere.
Marco Silva’s side come into the campaign with a degree of uncertainty among their squad but given how intense a trip to the Cottage is, you would be a fool to underestimate them here.
The odds will no doubt be favorable on the best UK betting sites, with the sides producing some close battles in recent meetings. United are widely expected to collect the three points, but could we witness an upset in west London? Dive into our match preview and find out who we’re backing.
Recent Form and Season Context
Fulham finished their previous season in 11th place. They ended up being a rather comfortable mid-table side but seemed to flatter to deceive in the attacking areas of the field. Marco Silva will likely be concerned about the creative ability they hold upfront but will certainly want to improve on their 7 wins from 19 games at home last year.
For the Red Devils, Ruben Amorim will be keen to see his side find a degree of consistency as early as possible this season. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have already looked to bolster the attacking threat of Manchester United and given how transitional they can be under this manager, United will be hoping to improve on their average of 2.6 goals per match.
Head-to-Head Snapshot
The visitors come into this fixture having dominated it in recent weeks. United have won this encounter on 16 occasions, with Fulham only managing a single win in their last 21 engagements.
This match has seen an average of 3.14 goals scored, and if Fulham maintains their open shape, we don’t see this changing too much.
Team News and Likely Line-Ups
Fulham
The hosts are likely to field a side we have often seen in the past. Players like Antonee Robinson will be looked at to provide wide cover and get the side forward on the flanks, but it is likely to be in midfield where the game is won or lost.
Manchester United
New signings, Cunha and Mbeumo, should both start, and Bruno Fernandes is likely to play a deeper role in the middle of the field. Luke Shaw has enjoyed a good pre-season and if Lisandro Martinez is cleared, he will likely see some game time.
Tactical Outlook: Creativity vs Cohesion
For the home side, a compact and blunt approach is likely to be the approach. They aren’t likely to see too much of the football and so their counter-attacking ability will become vital to progress the side into attacking moments.
Manchester United will look to play as vertically as possible. Their ability to play through the lines and put pressure on the hosts defensive third will no doubt prove vital here. Amorim’s side will look to stretch Fulham’s shape and exploit space ruthlessly.
Key Player Matchups
If Amad Diallo is preferred out wide, the overlapping nature of Antonee Robinson could ask questions of the Ivorian winger. Elsewhere, the physical nature and link-up style of Matheus Cunha is likely to unsettle the calm and level approach of Fulham’s central players. Joachim Andersen could very well have his hands full here.
Betting Tips
Here are some betting tips and suggestions for you to consider ahead of this Premier League encounter.
Prediction
Manchester United come into this game with a degree of confidence. Their transitions and attacking threat seem to have dramatically improved and given the confident approach on display by Amorim’s chargers, we can’t see past a home win here.
