Game Week 19 Predictions: United to hammer Bournemouth

Marcus Rashford celebrates after dancing through the Wolves defense to score on New Year's Eve, will he do it again on Tuesday vs Bournemouth? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth

Old Trafford Stadium

9:00pm

It’s a good time for Manchester United to climb up on the league table following a run of friendly fixtures but they can’t be carried away or be delusional, this is the premier league.

United went to Wolves and came out unscathed following a sizzling Marcus Rashford goal in the second half of the game; it was such a story as the England striker was dropped by manager Eric Ten Hag from the starting lineupneeds and was only brought on at halftime.

Rashford confirmed in his post-match chat that he was dropped because he overslept and turned up for a team meeting late; underlining his stand on discipline, Ten Hag dropped Rashford and handed a starting role to Alejandro Garnacho.

Bournemouth has suffered consecutive heartbreaks and now need to start picking points if they don’t want to be sent back into the championship league. Truth be told, the Cherries were wont of the hot favorites to return to the lower league from the start and will need more than luck to survive.

Bournemouth lost 2-0 at home to Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace and with their new owners watching from the stand, they couldn’t hold things together and will now hope to earn something on a ground they typically struggle on.

How will Bournemouth line up? They have to be brave and must take their chances if they ever get one, United will not leave too much room for them to exploit but like they did when Gary O’Neil took over, they need that energy again.

United will be able to seal their place in the top four after watching Tottenham bottle things to Aston Villa the other day; The Red Devils can even end the day in third if Newcastle doesn’t pick any points at the Emirates against Arsenal.

A win is not going to come easy for Bournemouth but if it does happen, will take Bournemouth to 13^th above Leicester City but should they lose as expected by most, they could end the game week in the relegation zone if other results go against them.

It’s a game you’d give to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to excel; if Antony keeps things simple, he could have all the fun in the world with Bruno Fernandes pulling strings with Christian Eriksen in midfield, it will be a long night for the Cherries.

Verdict: United to hammer Bournemouth