Manchester United-Brighton is a match valid for the fifth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 4 pm: TV, formations, predictions.
One win, one loss, one victory, one defeat. Manchester United continues to go on the see-saw in these early days of the Premier League, but the defeats, both of which accrued away – an Achilles’ heel even last season – against two (more or less) equal opponents like Tottenham and Arsenal do not allow Erik ten Hag to see the glass half full.
The Red Devils have so far made the law of Old Trafford apply, beating Wolverhampton and Nottingham Forest – how much effort, however, to beat Steve Cooper’s team, which came back from 0-2 down to 3-2 – but failing to make the most important appointments, a sign that something continues to be missing in order to keep up with the others. Probably the Dutch coach has not yet found the square, but the risk is that Bruno Fernandes and his teammates remain too far behind as they did last year. Manchester United, in fact, must already make up four points on the fourth in the standings, West Ham, while Manchester City’s cousins appear to be running away: after four days they have double their points.
It’s a Brighton unleashed
When there is less than a week to go before their long-awaited Champions League debut with Bayer Munich, the Red Devils are having a dress rehearsal by hosting Brighton at Old Trafford.
De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi’s team – by the way, the Seagulls’ debut in the Europa League, a competition they have never played before, is also imminent – for now, they solely patched up the match with West Ham, which they lost 3-1 despite total domination of the ball. Accident on the road immediately filed away on the last day before the break, with the 3-1 trimming of a direct competitor like Newcastle. Three wins and one defeat for a Brighton that, despite excellent disposals, has not lost its identity. An important fact emerges from the numbers: no one, not even City, has scored as much as the Seagulls (12). De Zerbi in Manchester will probably have to do without Scottish talent Ferguson (hat-trick against Newcastle), while the list of absentees is definitely longer at United: in doubt the presence of Lisandro in defense, but former violet player Amrabat is also out.
The Prediction
It will likely be Brighton who will be the match against a Manchester United side that is struggling to get off the ground. Hard, however, to imagine another defeat for the Red Devils, who are obliged to redeem the London drubbing with Arsenal. Old Trafford will play its part but facing the Seagulls will by no means be easy: De Zerbi’s team, which boasts the best attack in the tournament so far, should score on at least one occasion.
The probable lineups of Manchester United-Brighton
- MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Dalot; Eriksen, Casemiro; Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
- BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Estupiñán; Gross, Gilmour; March, Lallana, Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-2
