Manchester United vs Southampton
Manchester United’s hopes of reclaiming the Premier League title are suddenly in serious danger of falling apart. After failing to win each of their last two games, they are now three points adrift of rivals Manchester City, who still have one game in hand.
The Red Devils will have a great opportunity to revive their fading title challenge as they host struggling Southampton at Old Trafford in midweek. The Saints have now lost three games on the trot, which has seen them drop to the bottom half of the table.
But while the Premier League 2021 betting odds are heavily against Southampton, they have given the Red Devils some problems in recent meetings and will be ready to cause them more headaches.
Talking Points
Man United missing Bruno magic
Manchester United’s luck finally appears to be running out. After going on an impressive run of 13 matches unbeaten (10 wins, 3 draws), they have now gone winless in their last two after they followed up their shock 2-1 defeat to bottom-club Sheffield United with a goalless draw away at Arsenal.
Despite dominating possession, 57-43, United were still outshot 17-14 and only had 3 shots on target at the Emirates.
Bruno Fernandes, who has been so instrumental to their success since his arrival last year, again could not make a decisive impact. The Portuguese playmaker has now failed to record a goal or an assist in his last five Premier League matches.
That is obviously a concerning trend for the Red Devils and is perhaps a sign that Bruno is finally feeling the physical toll of playing every single match during this congested season.
Midfielder Scott McTominay was subbed off after just 37 minutes against Arsenal due to a stomach cramp, and it remains to be seen whether he will be ready to play against Southampton.
If not, Paul Pogba is likely to move into midfield with either Anthony Martial – who came on for McTominay – or Mason Greenwood starting on the wing.
Martial has been a major disappointment for United this season. The French forward has scored just two league goals in 17 appearances.
Southampton struggling to score
Southampton’s slide down the standings continued as they suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend.
Saints’ recent Premier League 2021 results have been disastrous. They have now lost three straight games and have won just once in their last eight matches. Curiously, that lone victory came against champions Liverpool.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl instructs his players during a Premier League clash against Arsenal
Despite dominating possession, 60-40, and having a 20-8 advantage in total shots, Saints just couldn’t find a way through Villa’s resolute defence.
Goalscoring has been a major issue for them during their recent skid; they’ve scored just 3 goals in their last eight games. Top striker Danny Ings (7 goals this season) hasn’t been quite at his best since returning from his Covid absence and has now scored just one goal in his last seven appearances.
Meanwhile, manager Ralph Hasenuttl still has a number of injuries to contend with. Midfielder Oriol Romeu finally made his return after a month-long injury layoff, but Jannik Vestergaard, Michael Obafemi, and Moussa Djenepo are all still out.
Captain James Ward-Prowse also had to fill in at right-back with Kyle Walker-Peters out and Yan Valery out of favour.
Hasenhuttl will have few options to change up his side as a result, but Saints should still offer United some problems. Southampton have lost just twice in 9 away matches this season, with 3 wins and 4 draws.
History
Manchester United have a significant 8-2 edge in league wins over Southampton over the last few years, with 7 draws.
United also extended their unbeaten run against Saints to nine matches after beating them 3-2 in their first meeting this season. Saints went 2-0 up after just over half an hour, but the Red Devils stormed back with three goals in the last half hour, including the winning goal by Edinson Cavani in stoppage time.
But despite that loss, Southampton showed once again that they can cause United some problems. Saints have scored two goals against United in four of their last five games. They also held the Red Devils to two draws last season and have drawn with a total of five times in their last nine meetings.
Betting Tip
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Manchester United vs Southampton | Southampton Asian Handicap +1.00 @ 2.05 |
| February 3, 04:15 (GMT+8) |
Despite their recent hiccups, SBOTOP odds have United installed as massive 1.51 favourites at home, with Southampton priced at 6.60 to pull off the upset. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.90.
United’s dip in form will have to end at some point, but even with Southampton struggling, getting the win isn’t as secure as the odds might indicate. The United attack seems to be slowing down, and their record at home has been shaky all season.
Recent history suggests there’s decent value in Southampton taking at least a point out of their trip to Old Trafford. And even if they lose by a single goal, you still get your stake back.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post Premier League: Saints Out to Derail Red Devils’ Title Dreams appeared first on SBOTOP.
