Game Week 31 Predictions: United to beat Bournemouth

Bournemouth vs Man Utd preview: Red Devils chase top-2 spot, Cherries eye upset at Vitality. Verdict: United to win.

Bournemouth and Manchester United will open the weekend in the Premier League. With both sides eyeing European football, who will come out tops? (Photo credit: Opta)

 Bournemouth vs. Manchester United

Vitality Stadium

9:00pm

Manchester United will move within five points of second-placed Manchester City on the Premier League log if they beat Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries have troubled Manchester United in recent fixtures. This one happening at the Vitality Stadium on Friday will excite lots of people who have no special interests, but for United and Bournemouth, it's everything.

Manchester United is currently third on the log after beating Aston Villa last weekend; the win at Old Trafford took Michael Carrick's men three points clear of Villa. If you put that into perspective, Villa was eleven points above United sometime in January.

Bournemouth has endured a torrid season. The Cherries started great but soon became the whipping boys of the league as they went nine games without a win. Bournemouth is currently on another winless run, but they haven't lost any of their last four either.

The hosts will move up to 8th on the log if they beat Manchester United on Friday. They can dream, as they haven't lost to the Red Devils in any of their last five domestic involvements. This should especially interest the Cherries.

How will they line up? The Red Devils will hope Bruno Fernandes is once again in inspired form as he chases down the league's assist record. The current record stands at 20 assists in a season, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Bruno Fernandes.

Michael Carrick is expected to trust Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha upfront, with Amad Diallo completing the trio. Bruno is expected to sit behind them with Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro protecting the back four.

For the hosts, Andoni Iraola will once again trust the kids and their speed. Eli Junior Kroupi, Rayan, and Marcus Tavernier will feature, but Tyler Adams will face a late fitness test to see if he can play a part in this one.

Verdict: United to win.