quarta-feira, 22 de janeiro de 2020
Manchester United vs Burnley Preview: Red Devils look to respond against the Clarets
After another disappointing showing at the weekend, United need to bounce back quickly if they want to save their season from falling apart entirely.
The Premier League is back already courtesy of some midweek action, as Manchester United host Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils were beaten quite comprehensively at the weekend, losing to bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield. It might have only ended 2-0, but the scoreline was kind to United, who should have really lost by more.
After a fast start, Liverpool would only need 15 minutes to take the lead. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a corner into the area, where Virgil Van Dijk rose highest to head home from close range.
They thought they had made it two only ten minutes later when Roberto Firmino curled a shot into the top corner, but the goal was taken off the board when a VAR review spotted a foul by Van Dijk on David De Gea moments beforehand.
The Reds were even better to start the second half, and really should have put the game to bed. However, they weren’t clinical at all on the night, missing several easy chances.
That allowed United some hope of finding an equalizer, and they even had a few solid opportunities of their own. Andreas Pereira just couldn’t get on the end of a low cross early on, and Anthony Martial smashed his shot into the night sky at the hour mark.
Liverpool would eventually secure all three points in the final moments of the contest, as Mohamed Salah hit on the counter following a United corner. Slotting past De Gea, his goal clinched the result for the home side, making it a third loss in six games for the Red Devils in the process.
Burnley, on the other hand, picked up their biggest win of the season so far, beating 3rd place Leicester City at Turf Moor.
It was an especially impressive performance from the Clarets considering they gave up the opening goal of the contest. Harvey Barnes gathered a loose ball in the midfield before driving up the pitch. Instead of passing, he simply kept going, eventually making his way into the penalty area and rifling a shot into the back of the net.
Burnley would tie things up ten minutes into the second half in typical Burnley fashion. A header from a corner was initially saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but the rebound fell to Chris Wood, who poked home from close range.
Leicester thought they would retake the lead moments later, as the referee pointed to the spot when Barnes was taken out in the area. Jamie Vardy stepped up, but had his attempt saved by Nick Pope, who did very well to guess the right way and get a hand on the shot.
The Clarets carried that momentum forward, grabbing the winner late on. Ashley Westwood got on the end of a poor clearance at the back, smashing a first time shot into the bottom corner from a few yards out.
Burnley would hold on to the victory, which saw them climb up to 14th place in the league standings.
Last time out
These two sides faced off at the very end of 2019, as United beat Burnley on the 28th of December at Turf Moor.
It was a cagey affair to start, as the Red Devils struggled to create much going forward as per usual. The home side sat deep and absorbed pressure well, even coming close to scoring themselves courtesy of some set pieces.
However, it would be a mistake from the Clarets that effectively gave United the lead. Charlie Taylor couldn’t get rid of the ball at the back, and was dispossessed by Andreas Pereira. He played a beautiful first time pass towards Anthony Martial, who made no mistake with the finish, placing his shot into the bottom corner.
Burnley pushed on in search of a late equalizer, but that would end up costing them. The Red Devils used the space left in behind to their advantage, as Marcus Rashford broke free to score in stoppage time and secure three crucial road points for United.
Team news
United’s biggest team news actually broke during the Liverpool game, as reports confirmed that Marcus Rashford will be out of action for about three months after re-aggravating a back injury versus Wolves in the FA Cup.
That is obviously a dreadful development, but the Red Devils have received some good news on the injury front at least. Diogo Dalot made his first team return against the Reds at the weekend, with Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah reportedly close to coming back as well.
The same cannot be said for Axel Tuanzebe and Marcos Rojo, unfortunately, and the pair won’t be available anytime soon.
Burnley, meanwhile, will likely only be without Ashley Barnes, who is recovering from hernia surgery, and Johann Berg Gudmundsson, who is still dealing with a hamstring issue.
Predicted lineups
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams, Fred, Mata, Matic, Greenwood, Martial, James
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Wood, Rodriguez
What to watch for
Greenwood’s time to shine
With Marcus Rashford out for the foreseeable future, the pressure has now been put on 18-year-old Mason Greenwood to make up for his production going forward.
Since United decided to let Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez leave in the summer without replacing either of them, they were risking something like this happening. Now, the remainder of the campaign rests on the shoulders of a teenager playing his first season of senior football.
Luckily for the Red Devils, Greenwood seems up for the challenge. He’s been quality so far, scoring four goals in the Premier League already, with another five coming in the other cup competitions.
Those have come in shorter appearances, but the forward will now have to prove he can get the job done on a weekly basis. It’s usually tough for someone as young as Greenwood to do well for an extended period of time, as fatigue tends to hit them sooner and much harder than older and more experienced players.
Burnley will be quite the test to start off with, but if Greenwood can get on the scoresheet, then United fans will begin to believe he can help carry the team to a top four finish.
Leicester City vs West Ham Preview: Foxes aim to get back to winning ways
Leicester City host West Ham at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday evening.
After two consecutive losses in the Premier League, Leicester will be keen to bounce back with a win against West Ham at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes gave up a 1-0 lead at Turf Moor at the weekend, losing 2-1 to Sean Dyche’s Burnley. This was the second time in two weeks that Brendan Rodgers’ side had lost a game from a winning position.
But, despite the poor results, Leicester still remain third in the Premier League table and 11 points clear of fifth place Manchester United. A win against West Ham could be key in regaining the momentum that seems to have gone missing in previous weeks.
Opponent Overview
West Ham are currently performing well below preseason expectations. The Hammers sit in 16th place in the table with only six wins to their name.
However, after sacking manager Manuel Pellegrini in December, David Moyes has taken the hot seat and the new boss will be hoping to turn their form around.
Since joining, Moyes has picked up four points from his first three games. In his first fixture back at the London Stadium, West Ham beat struggling Bournemouth 4-0. This was followed by a controversial loss to Sheffield United and a draw at home to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.
The Hammers will be looking to claim a vital three points to help them climb up the table against a wobbling Leicester side.
Team News
Wilfred Ndidi could make a remarkable return to the Leicester squad after recovering quicker than expected from his knee injury. Ben Chilwell and Hamza Choudhury are also available after missing out against Burnley.
For West Ham, Felipe Anderson has been ruled out for four weeks with a back injury and Andriy Yarmolenko remains out. However, Michail Antonio is close to returning to full fitness.
Previous Meeting
Less than a month ago, the two teams met at the London Stadium. Leicester came away 2-1 winners in what was former West Ham boss, Manuel Pellegrini’s last game in charge.
The Foxes fielded a rotated side, featuring Nampalys Mendy and James Justin who were both making their first Premier League starts of the season, whereas West Ham started a strong team and a win was expected for the hosts.
Brendan Rodgers’ side shocked the Hammers when Kelechi Iheanacho opened the scoring after a header back across goal from Ayoze Perez. However, Pablo Fornals levelled just before the break, easing the nerves of the home fans.
But Leicester regained the lead before the hour mark. Perez broke through the West Ham midfield and slid through Demarai Gray who finished confidently past Lukasz Fabianski.
This loss to what was seen as the Foxes ‘second team’ brought Pellegrini’s reign in London to an end.
Managers Comments
Despite the Foxes going through a tricky patch, Foxes' boss Rodgers has called for calm and remains confident in his team. He said: "It happens with every team-you go through a period where you don’t get the results you’d like.
‘’I have no doubt about these players. We’ve had a little blip but we’ve got a great chance now to get back on track."
Meanwhile, David Moyes has highlighted the improvements that his side needs to make should they want to rise up the table. The Scotsman said: "We’re trying hard to do so. We’re trying to get some wins and not just on the pitch.’’
Tottenham Hotspur vs Norwich City Preview: Spurs still searching for first league goal and win of 2020
Tottenham are desperate for their first Premier League victory of the year with top four rivals Chelsea dropping points on Tuesday.
Tottenham Hotspur host Norwich City on Wednesday night as Jose Mourinho's side aim to score their first Premier League goal of 2020.
The pair met at Carrow Road just after Christmas and the points were shared in a 2-2 draw which saw Christian Eriksen score the equalising goal.
Spurs have not won in the Premier League since Boxing Day and with Harry Kane out injured they are lacking in the goals department.
December draw
December's 2-2 draw was marred by the use of VAR to disallow Teemu Pukki's goal which would have put the Canaries 2-0 up.
However, Spurs fought back on two occasions but will have left disappointed with their top four dreams fading quickly over the festive period.
Since the meeting at Carrow Road, the Canaries have failed to pull themselves out of the drop zone and currently lie last in the table.
With Tottenham far from their best - this could prove a good opportunity to pick up some unexpected points for Daniel Farke's men.
Team news
Hugo Lloris has returned to first team training and could make his return to captaining the Lilywhites.
Record-signing Tanguy Ndombele has also returned to training and could start on Wednesday according to Mourinho.
"He's ready, he's not ready for 90 minutes. He will be involved. He will be selected," said Mourinho.
"I'm not telling you to start or come later, but no injury. Completely free. Just a question of condition and mentality to be ready, but he's back tomorrow."
For the visitors, Ben Godfrey will miss the game following his sending off against Bournemouth.
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