Manchester United are coming off a huge 5-1 win over Cardiff in what was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s debut as Manchester United’s manager. Now the Norwegian will have his first game at Old Trafford managing the side. And it couldn’t have been against a better side: Huddersfield, who have been one of the worst Premier League sides during the current term. This Boxing Day fixture will kick-off at 15:00 BST.
Team News
Manchester United will have two confirmed absences ahead of this game, and both will be on the attacking end since Romelu Lukaku (personal problems) and Alexis Sanchez (thigh) have both been ruled out. Plus, Scott McTominay (knee) and Chris Smalling (foot) are doubtful, but both are very unlikely to play.
Huddersfield, on the other hand, will be considerably more depleted. The Terriers won’t have Aaron Mooy (knee), Abdelhamid Samiri (shoulder), Tom Smith (thigh) and Daniel Williams (knee). To make things even more complicated, two other players have been listed as doubtful. These are Jonathan Hogg (knee) and Rajiv van La Parra (lower back).
Form guide
We can’t hide the fact that Manchester United have been inconsistent at the Premier League level. They recently left a four-game undefeated run in the rear view thanks to their 1-3 loss at Anfield, but bounced back in a big way with a 5-1 win over Cardiff during Solskjaer’s debut as manager. Entering Boxing Day, The Red Devils sit in sixth place with 29 points (W8, D5, L5). However, they are eight points behind the Top 4. There’s still more than half of the season to play, but that seems to be a huge challenge for United. Especially if they want to clinch a UEFA Champions League berth for the 2019/20 campaign.
On the other hand, Huddersfield have struggled badly during the entire campaign. They currently sit in relegation zone with only 10 points, and the only reason why they aren’t dead last is due to their goal different. Their current record only reads two wins in 18 matches (W2, D4, L12), and their five-game form reads five consecutive losses, so they have been the league’s worst side during that run. Furthermore, they have lost seven of their past 10 league outings (W2, D1, L7). Needless to say, they have struggled badly all year long.
What is our all-time record against Huddersfield?
These three sides have met just three times. All of them happened during last season and if we count all competitions, we can see Manchester United have two wins and Huddersfield, one. The previous meeting at Old Trafford ended with a 2-0 win for The Red Devils, thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, two players that won’t play in this match.
Prediction
The Red Devils destroyed Cardiff last week and even though it was only one game, the team looked much improved. They should have enough momentum to get three more points in front of their fans and against a struggling side. This should only confirm their rise under the tutelage of Solskjaer.
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