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Manchester United host Fulham at Previous Trafford aiming to maintain their successful streak alive as they make a late sprint for the UEFA Champions League locations.
The present streak stands at 4 video games and with a conflict away to Nottingham Forest subsequent within the FA Cup, they’ll lengthen it to 6 earlier than a marquee recreation away to Manchester Metropolis.
Nonetheless, the rapid ideas are on the subsequent recreation as Fulham pose a singular menace as a consequence of their multi-dimensional assault and transition supremacy.
Listed here are the three battles that can determine the destiny of the game-
Andreas Pereira vs Casemiro
Casemiro endured a torrid time in opposition to Luton City as the fast and pacy attackers repeatedly bypassed him. He was hooked at half-time as the sport flew by his ageing legs. It was the primary concrete situation the place he seemed a step slower than the sport.
In opposition to Fulham, the pacy attackers received’t be as massive a menace, however he might want to rein in his foul-happy methods to make sure United keep away from a sucker punch by the previous Crimson Satan in Andreas Pereira.
The Brazilian is now not the participant who was ridiculed at Previous Trafford. He has developed into the artistic hub of Fulham, particularly as a consequence of his mastery of set items. United battle to defend set-pieces with conviction, Casemiro fouls so much, and Pereira is a menace from set-pieces.
This may go disastrously if not less than certainly one of these three issues doesn’t change. One shouldn’t be in United’s arms (Pereira’s mastery), and the opposite received’t change in a single day (set-piece defending), thereby leaving Casemiro to adapt for this one.
Joao Palhinha vs Bruno Fernandes
Similar to it’s the battle of the Brazilians in Pereira vs Casemiro at Fulham’s attacking finish, it’s the conflict of the Portuguese at United’s.
Palhinha has shrugged off his failed Bayern Munich transfer in the summertime to return to his combative finest this season. He’s nearly a one-man wall in entrance of the defence, sweeping up the whole lot, tackling laborious, and being a basic nuisance by closing down house between the strains.
That’s exactly the form of defensive midfielder who can frustrate Fernandes, inflicting him to hurry the play and cede possession.
United have to stop making their games like basketball, end-to-end, and Fernandes is a giant motive why that retains taking place. Getting round Palhinha and pulling him away from the warmth of the motion is an important a part of making that occur, which will probably be as much as Fernandes.
Omari Forson vs Fulham’s left wing
That is, in fact, based mostly on latest experiences that the United youngster could be set for his first Premier League start as a consequence of Rasmus Hojlund’s absence.
Forson has lengthy been dubbed because the next candidate to make the jump to the first team and the strain will probably be on him from the off as a result of if he performs on the suitable, he will probably be up in opposition to Fulham’s finest.
Antonee Robinson and the wily veteran Willian will make it some extent to check him repeatedly by pushing ahead and testing his dedication to his defensive duties. Forson will probably be helped by the truth that Diogo Dalot is in one of the best type of his profession however he can’t let the Portuguese get overloaded on that facet.
To stability his defensive duties with contribution in assault will probably be a tall process for the teenager. If he has a star-making recreation, it could possibly be the beginning of one other good profession after Kobbie Mainoo. Sink or swim time.
