Football - Premier League
30 June 2020 15:15
Sixth placed Manchester United will look to continue their hot pursuit of a top-four finish when they travel to the Amex Stadium to take on relegation battlers Brighton & Hove Albion in this Premier League round #32 fixture. United are five points behind fourth placed Chelsea, while Brighton are in 15th, six points above the bottom three..
Brighton continued their good form since restart with a goalless draw against Leicester. This meant the Seagulls have been unbeaten for three games, winning one and drawing two. While their scoring record of 34 goals is one of the poorest in the league, Brighton have the joint-eighth best defensive record in the league this season. Furthermore, Brighton have won 21 of their 33 points at this venue and will look to build on a 2-1 shock win over Arsenal in their last home game. They have now lost only once in their last six Premier League home matches, winning two and drawing three.
Manchester United booked their passage to the FA Cup semi-finals by defeating Norwich City over the weekend. The Red Devils are now unbeaten in 14 matches in all competitions, which is their longest since a 17-game sequence under Jose Mourinho in his first season. with the club However, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men are hunting for a top-four finish, which is now five points away. They are three points behind fifth placed Wolves but with this game in hand. Anything less than a win here will mean United will stay behind Wolves, which could be enough to qualify for Champions League if City’s UEFA ban is upheld. Thankfully though, United’s form in the league has been pretty impressive too. They are unbeaten in seven matches, winning four and drawing three. However, United have struggled to close out matches away from home, winning only one of their last five Premier League away matches. This is not a happy hunting ground for United though. They have been beaten by Brighton in their last two visits with only one win in the last six.
Brighton and Hove Albion have shown against Arsenal that they can be a plucky side, especially with relegation worries still hovering around. Additionally, the hosts have had extra days of rest thanks to Manchester United’s involvement in the FA Cup over the weekend. That should take nothing away from United’s form, which has been on the rise since Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in January. With Paul Pogba back to full fitness and looking sharp, the visitors will hope to regain their top-five position with a win. Expect the match to be a tight one though, considering how United’s recent matches have been going. We are tipping the match to produce under 2.5 goals and a small stake on Brighton pinching a draw would be a risk worth looking at taking.
