Football News: Premier League Match Preview Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Wednesday 18th April 2018
Bournemouth v Manchester United 7:45pm kick off
Mings (fitness expected return 5th May) out
Stanislas (knee injury expected return 1st August) out
A Smith (MCL injury expected return 5th May) out
Eddie Howe's team are so ridiculously inconsistent it is amazing. One minute they are slumping badly and looking certain for relegation, then they go on a good run to get well clear, then they slump back into trouble again and so on. They are currently in the middle of a slump of 1 win in 8 games, but they do look to be safe from relegation and so are not under the pressure that seems to inspire them. Having Southampton and Swansea left to play gives them the opportunity to ensure their safety regardless of what happens here, which might well be why they are struggling to motivate themselves.
Most important player: Nathan Ake. Since signing a permanent deal with the Cherries, Ake has looked half the player he was while on loan with them. If he harbours any ambitions of making the summer's World Cup, he should be upping his performance level.
Romero (knee injury expected return 29th April) out
It does seem, judging by the weekend's lacklustre performance, that Man Utd's sole focus is on the FA Cup now, despite not having confirmed second place in the Premier League. With Liverpool breathing down their neck once again, that has to be a good motivation for the players to go out there and get the result they need to put a gap between them. Having shown much more in the second half of the match against City than they have in the entire rest of the second half of the season, pressure is beginning to mount on Jose Mourinho. Will he deal with it by going all or nothing on the FA Cup though? Is he of the belief that a trophy will be the best way to answer the critics?
Most important player: Luke Shaw. It is likely the left back will come in as Mourinho rests Ashley Young in preparation for the cup game at the weekend. He still has a lot to prove.
Defining Battle: this mostly comes down to United's frame of mind. If they are going out there to take the game to Bournemouth, then this should be a comfortable victory. If they are going to look to defend and pick the Cherries off on the break, then it could be another long and uncomfortable 90 minutes for watching Man Utd fans. At their best, the Red Devils are an attacking force, but they are weak defensively.
Editors' Predictions:
Ed002 - 0-1
Ed003 - 2-3
Ed004 - 1-2
Ed007 - 0-2
Ed018 - 1-2
Ed025 - 1-2
Ed033 - 0-2
Editor's Predictions Table
1. Ed002 - 214 points
2. Ed018 - 209 points
3. Ed025 - 208 points
4. Ed007 - 207 points
5. Ed033 - 204 points
6. Ed004 - 202 points
7. Ed003 - 186 points
*1 point is awarded for the correct result, 3 points for the correct score.
**updated 13th April 2018 (not including results for that day)
Written by Tris Burke April 18 2018 07:12:09
