The English Premier League season kicks off as Manchester United hosts Fulham. We're at Old Trafford, sharing our English Premier League odds series and making a Manchester United-Fulham prediction and pick.
Manchester United had a down season by their standards, finishing with 18 wins, six draws, and 14 losses while placing eighth in the Premier League. While they ended the season with two consecutive wins, it was still their worst finish ever. Still, there is some hope, especially after they signed Leny Yoro to a deal. But the young star will not play on Friday. Likewise, Rasmue Hojlund will also not play this week to open the season. Manager Erick ten Hag is back even after a season of struggles.
Fulham finished their Premier League season with 13 wins, eight draws, and 17 losses, resulting in a 13th-place finish. Sadly, it was a drop from the previous season, when they finished 10th. Fulham lost Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich, but they acquired Jorge Cuenca from Villareal. Additionally, they secured Emile Smith Rowe.
Manchester United leads the all-time series 56-15 with 20 draws. Last season. Manchester United won 1-0 at Fulham, while Fulham won 2-1 at Old Trafford. Overall, Manchester United has won seven matches in the last 10 between the teams, while Fulham has won once, with the other two resulting in draws. But the Reds have struggled against Fulham over five home games, winning just twice, losing twice and earning a draw.
Here are the Premier League odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Premier League Odds: Manchester United-Fulham Odds
Manchester United: -170
Fulham: +430
Draw: +330
Over 2.5 goals: -213
Under 2.5 goals: +157
How to Watch Manchester United vs. Fulham
Time: 3 PM ET/Noon
TV: USA Network
Stream: (Click Here for Free Trial)
Why Manchester United Will Win
Manchester United is the favorite in this one. However, the injuries have mounted, and not having Yoro or Hojlund will hurt them. The Reds will have some new players to rely on, with Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Zirkzee all needing to play essential roles. The defense will rely on Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot to man the backfield.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana will need to protect the castle as Manchester United hope to avoid an early letdown. Significantly, he produced nine clean sheets last season.
But scoring goals is what used to make Manchester United so feared. Thus, finishing ninth in goals last season was a big reason why the Reds struggled. Hojlund being out will hinder them. But Bruno Fernandes will play and look to find the back of the net. Fernandes scored 10 goals and eight assists last season. Therefore, expect him to be out on the pitch, looking to strike right away.
Manchester United will win this match if the defense can tighten up and prevent Fulham from getting scoring chances or getting out wide. Then, they need Fernandes and the other strikers to set up some scoring chances to give Manchester United the early advantage.
Why Fulham Will Win
Fulham has a tough obstacle to overcome in their Premier League opener. But they have as great a chance as any, mainly because the Reds are dealing with injury issues.
For Fulham to succeed, they must get the ball out wide and cross it in for the target. Amazingly, they orchestrated 75 percent of their attacks last season out-wide, which was also the fifth-most in the Premier League. Fulham also ranked second in crosses (94) behind Brentford. Smith Rowe can be a huge player for the Cottagers. Rodrigo Muniz can be a factor, especially after he scored nine goals and seven assists last season. Consequently, the Cottagers were only 13th in goals last season.
Fulham can snag this victory if their defense can find ways to steal the ball and gain a lot of tackles. Significantly, they were ninth in the Premier League in tackles last season. Goalkeeper Bernd Leno ad 10 clean sheets last season and will look to lead Fulham to victory by protecting the net.
Fulham will win this match if they can go out wide and set up multiple scoring opportunities. Then, they need good defense to prevent Manchester United from striking.
Final Manchester United-Fulham Prediction & Pick
Fulham has a good chance to upset the Reds. However, their struggles were as well documented as the Reds. Fulham did not do much to get better in the offseason. Therefore, they may struggle to go onto Old Trafford and upset the Reds. We see a scenario that this match will be very close to the very end. Subsequently, Manchester United will find a way to thrive when it matters, doing enough to win their Premier League opener.
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Final Manchester United-Fulham Prediction & Pick: Manchester United (-170)
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