Round 16 concludes Monday at Old Trafford, where Manchester United aim to extend their strong home form as Bournemouth arrive, carrying a surprising unbeaten streak over United in recent meetings. United come off a commanding 4–1 win at Wolves and will look to build momentum heading into the festive period, while Bournemouth face a tough challenge on the road amid a six-match winless streak. Here are my thoughts on the clash, along with a bet worth considering.
Before we turn to Monday’s standalone clash, here’s a quick look at the Premier League title race where Arsenal remains clear favourites at just over 13/20, with Manchester City close behind at 16/10. Liverpool are available at 25/1, with Aston Villa stable at 28/1 Chelsea are out to 33/1 (from 25/1) and the balance are on offer at 80/1 or larger. .
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MANCHESTER UNITED v BOURNEMOUTH – Click here to bet
We close out Round 16 on Monday evening at Old Trafford, where Manchester United will look to build on last week’s 4–1 victory away to Wolves, a result that steadied their campaign and lifted them to eighth in the table with 25 points from 15 matches (W7 D4 L4). The performance featured goals from Bruno Fernandes (2), Bryan Mbeumo, and Mason Mount, while Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui were both handed starts as Rubén Amorim continued to make full use of his squad depth.
The timing of that rotation is significant, as all three of Mbeumo, Diallo and Mazraoui are expected to depart shortly for the Africa Cup of Nations. The trio will certainly want to make an impact before jetting off to AFCON if made available for Monday.
At Old Trafford, United have been impressive, collecting 13 points from a possible 21 (W4 D1 L2). Their only home defeats came against Everton and Arsenal, while strong performances in other fixtures have seen them establish a solid home presence. Amorim will expect his side to continue asserting themselves on familiar turf as they push to close the gap on the European places.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, travel up north hoping to halt a worrying slide. Last weekend’s goalless draw against Chelsea stopped a run of successive losses but still extended their winless streak in the league to six matches. After the weekends action they have fallen to 15th on 20 points (W5 D5 L5), and Andoni Iraola’s side are in search of renewed rhythm heading into the festive period.
Bournemouth’s away form has been a significant concern. They have earned just five points on the road this season (W1 D2 L4) and arrive on a five-match winless streak away from Vitality Stadium, including defeats in their last three consecutive away matches. Defensive lapses continue to be an issue, most recently, they let a 2–0 lead slip in a 3–2 loss at Sunderland, conceding three unanswered goals. Across these five away games, they have shipped 15 goals, making it extremely difficult for them to gain any foothold against stronger opposition.
While the Cherries have caused United problems in the past, their current away struggles, particularly at the back, make Old Trafford a challenging assignment, despite recent head-to-heads suggesting otherwise.
Head-to-Head
Bournemouth have enjoyed recent success against Manchester United, remaining unbeaten in their last four competitive meetings over the past two seasons, including two league wins and two draws. Notably, they recorded back-to-back 3–0 victories at Old Trafford, while last season’s reverse fixture at Vitality Stadium ended in a 1–1 draw.
Betting
Manchester United 8/10
Draw 3/1
Bournemouth 3/1
Verdict
Bournemouth’s recent history against Manchester United suggests they could cause an upset, but their current struggles on the road make Old Trafford a tough place to repeat past heroics. However, United’s defence has kept just one clean sheet all season, and with both sides shaky at the back, goals look likely. Rather than backing an outright win, I’m leaning towards both teams finding the net, with at least three goals expected in what could be an entertaining affair to close out the round.
Suggested Bet: Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 goals at 87/100
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
