Bournemouth v Man Utd preview: Visitors continue top four push
Boss Gary O’Neil lamented a "poor" display in their 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace last week, leaving the Cherries boss demanding a reaction for the visit of Manchester United in their final home game of the campaign.
Bournemouth’s defensive woes have reared their head in recent weeks at home, as they’ve lost three of their last four matches at the Vitality Stadium (W1), conceding 10 goals in that sequence.
The Cherries have been particularly vulnerable on their own turf in the opening 15 minutes, conceding more goals in that period than any other side in the division (eight), so a solid start may be the order of the day here.
They’ll welcome a Manchester United side under serious pressure for their top-four position after seeing bitter rivals Liverpool put together a seven-match winning streak.
The Red Devils retain a game in hand though, and that could be crucial in preserving their one-point lead, especially given their woeful away form that’s seen them fail to win on the road in four consecutive trips (D1, L3).
Manager Erik ten Hag, who has now claimed the most wins (38) of any Man Utd manager in their debut season, insisted "now is not the time to be happy or satisfied" after their 2-0 win over Wolves last weekend, an eighth consecutive match that saw United underperform their Expected Goals (xG).
That’s been a common theme, as only Aston Villa have netted fewer goals of top half PL sides this term, while question marks continue to surround the fitness of top scorer Marcus Rashford.
Key battle: Ten Hag said his side are "very good at making the opposition goalkeeper man of the match", so Bournemouth skipper Neto could be key here, especially as he’s proved instrumental to their form with the Cherries earning 33 points from the 26 matches he’s started (W9, D6, L11).
With Rashford a doubt, Alejandro Garnacho could be in line for a first start since March after returning with a goal against Wolves last week - each of his last four strikes have come beyond the 84th minute.
Hot stat: Bournemouth have failed to score in 16 PL games this term, a joint PL high.
