Manchester United vs Bournemouth

Old Trafford is the venue as Manchester United and Bournemouth go head-to-head in a high-stakes Premier League showdown.

Manchester United endured a poor start to December, slumping to a disheartening 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United before making amends with a well-deserved 2-1 home triumph against Chelsea. United boss Erik ten Hag won the ‘Manager of the Month’ award in the build-up to this fixture after guiding his side to four wins in their last five league outings (L1), bringing them within a three-point distance of fourth-placed Manchester City. The ‘Red Devils’ have excelled against sides from the bottom half of the table this season, with eight of their nine league wins coming in such match-ups! But the Old Trafford faithful may need steely nerves for what’s coming, considering each of Man Utd’s five top-flight home victories this season have come via a single-goal margin.

In the meantime, visiting Bournemouth pulled off a crucial 2-0 midweek win at Crystal Palace, showcasing tremendous mental fortitude after dropping two separate leads in last weekend’s 2-2 home draw against Aston Villa. Following a dreadful 11-game league start (W1, D3, L7), the ‘Cherries’ have hit a purple patch heading into the festive period, racking up an eye-catching three wins in their last four Premier League games (D1) en route to building a healthy seven-point lead on the drop zone. Manager Andoni Iraola can be proud of his side’s form resurgence, especially on the road, where they’ve won back-to-back matches via two-goal margins after losing three in a row beforehand. But Old Trafford hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Bournemouth, as they’ve lost their last four Premier League visits to this venue.