Manchester United looked better in midweek, with a grind-it-out win at Luton Town, in the EFL Cup competition, but the 3-0 final scoreline gives them more credit than they really deserved. They were expected to perform much better in that clash than they did in the opener, a total disaster at home against Crystal Palace, given that the level of competition was much lower.
We’ll see how they look at the Amex Stadium, Saturday midday, as they visit Brighton & Hove Albion for their first Premier League road fixture of the season.
Manchester United at Brighton & Hove Albion FYIs
Kickoff: 7:30 am ET Saturday Sept 26, TV Channel: NBCSN,
Team news for both sides: go here
Odds: Brighton +375 to win, draw +260. Manchester United to win -130
“The goalkeeping department and training level has been really high, of course, you can see driven and dedicated people and I’ve enjoyed watching them,” said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Dean Henderson’s senior team debut on Tuesday.
“Dean in goal, good save, you can see he’s having to concentrate and it’s a different job to what he’s done a few times last season and he came up with the save when he had to.”
We aren’t picking Henderson over David de Gea, of course, in our starting lineup prediction, but we are projecting a depth chart switch at center back. Victor Lindelof was a dumpster fire versus Palace, following up on the dismal showing he had in the Europa League semifinal loss to Sevilla.
Bailly looked solid in midweek, so we’ll give him the nod here, but who knows what OGS will do. We also see youngster Mason Greenwood, who had a disastrous off-season, coming back into the first team. And finally, another switch could happen in midfield.
Donny van De Beek, the club’s lone acquisition this summer (and we only have 12 days left until the transfer window shuts), should get his first Premier League start here. Naturally suited for a more attacking role, we see him in a deeper position while Bruno Fernandes maintains the more upfield role.
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction at Brighton
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, Van de Beek; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Prediction: United 2, Brighton 1
The Red Devils have all sorts of problems, mostly in the front office where they’re not supporting their manager at all in the transfer market, but I just don’t see them losing back-to-back to begin the term.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.