Match: Premier League
Fixture: Manchester United VS Sunderland
Local Kick-off Time: 14:00, October 4th
Click here to watch the match LIVE now! 🔴 ▶
Click here to watch the match LIVE now! 🔴 ▶
Handicap Prediction:
Manchester United -1 (Asian Handicap)
Home Win (European Handicap)
Predicted Scores: 3-0, 3-1, 3-2
Predicted Total Goals: 3, 4, 5
Comprehensive Analysis:
In terms of the overall performance this season, the future of head coach Rúben Amorim at Manchester United has been cast into significant doubt. His insistence on using a three-centre-back formation and deploying his fellow Portuguese countryman Bruno Fernandes as a defensive midfielder, among other decisions, has plunged the team into trouble. Previously, it was expected that the team would bounce back after defeating Chelsea in the previous round, but in the last match against Watford, all the weaknesses in the defensive end were fully exposed—they were repeatedly caught out by the opponent's through balls, leaving the goal under constant threat. The poor defensive system has resulted in the team failing to keep a clean sheet in any of the first 6 league matches. However, after a major revamp of the forward line this summer, Manchester United's attack has indeed improved, as evidenced by their expected goals (xG) of 12.21, ranking first in the league. After Jadon Sancho opened his goal account, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his scoring momentum. With both strengths and weaknesses coexisting, it will not be easy for Manchester United to secure all 3 points in this round; a prudent strategy should be to focus on avoiding defeat at home.
As a newly-promoted side, Sunderland has made a surprising start to this season—with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss after 6 rounds, they are ranked 5th in the standings. However, a closer look at their schedule shows that Sunderland has not yet faced any of the traditional "Big Six" teams, and this away match against Manchester United will be their first real test. Undoubtedly, Sunderland had a very successful transfer window this summer, and the return of Premier League veteran Gareth Southgate has been a key factor—all of the team's last 3 goals have come from his assists. The player also provided an assist in his last match against Manchester United (during his time at Arsenal). Nevertheless, Sunderland's historical record against Manchester United is not ideal—they have only managed 1 win, 9 draws, and 21 losses in their past 31 away matches against Manchester United. Since the establishment of the Premier League, they have played 29 away matches against the Manchester duo, winning only 1, with an average of just 0.24 points per game, making them the team with the worst record among all sides that have played away against the Manchester duo. Even though Sunderland is in better form recently, their top priority in this match should be to get away with a draw.
