The match was scheduled for December, but we are finally going to see the two teams go at each other two months later. Manchester United will be hosting Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night in a match that was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak among the Red Devils. Now the two teams will be facing each other and it seems they will be getting into the match in quite different moods.
But first, let’s have a look at what are the latest team news ahead of the match at Old Trafford.
Team News
There should not be many changes to Man United’s starting lineup. Fred might be ready to be on the bench, while Nemanja Matic has shin problems and could miss out. Edinson Cavani had groing problems and it remains to be seen whether he will be on the bench, as Cristiano Ronaldo will be expected in the starting lineup. Eric Bailly is out due to an injury.
As for Brighton, Enock Mwepu and Jeremy Sarmiento will miss out due to injury problems. But other than that, the Seagulls should not have any more problems. Yves Bissouma is poised to start on his return from international duty, while Neil Maupay could be partnered with Leandro Trossard in attack.
Form Guide
Manchester United are in really poor form. After beating Brentford away and somehow getting past West Ham more than three weeks ago, Ralf Rangnick’s side is three games without a win. Firstly, they exited the FA Cup following a loss to Middlesbrough after the penalty shoot-out. But that 1-1 draw was followed by two more 1-1 draws, against bottom-placed Burnley and Southampton, a side which lost at Old Trafford 9-0 just 12 months ago.
Another important thing to note about Man United’s form is the fact they have not scored more than one goal since the Brentford game and there have been four weeks since. Rangnick has criticised attackers, including Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of the Southampton game, but nothing changed just yet.
On the other hand, Brighton are the team which has lost just four Premier League matches this season. To put that in perspective, only the top three teams Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have lost on less occasions. That is because Graham Potter’s side has had 12 draws, including three consecutive ones, against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Leiceter. After that, they did lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, but they continued their unbeaten run in the league with a 2-0 win at Watford’s Vicarage Road.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, Brighton will be a tough team to beat. Only Manchester City, Wolves, Aston Villa and Everton have managed to do so, meaning they know how to resist the stronger opposition. But we predict Manchester United will beat Brighton 1-0 in a tough fought match, where Ralf Rangnick’s side will finally manage to earn a clean-sheet. The urge for Man United to finally win will be too great and the Devils might punish the visitors, who will be expected to want plenty of ball possession at Old Trafford.
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