The topsy turvy Premier League season continues as Manchester United are coming off of a draw with bottom of the league Burnley. Following their draw with Manchester City, Southampton one-upped that result by winning a 3-2 thriller over Tottenham during midweek. On form, the Saints will be expected to win this one but both teams have been unpredictable as Southampton’s defense is unreliable and Manchester United can’t score regularly.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 12 | Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford — Manchester, England
- Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: Manchester United -165; Draw +310; Southampton +440 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Manchester United vs. Southampton
Storylines
Manchester United: Ralf Rangnick has a Cristiano Ronaldo problem. When Ronaldo plays, the United press suffers but when he sits, the United attack suffers. If Rangnick is able to solve these issues, top four is there for the taking. Defensively there has been improvement since Rangnick has taken over and Diogo Dalot has offered a big improvement on Aaron Wan-Bissaka going forward from right back. While Paul Pogba wants to leave at the end of the season, his performance will be the deciding factor for if this United team can tick without a true defensive midfielder.
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Southampton: Armando Broja has been a revelation for the front line as his pressing and finishing have powered the Saints to positive results this season. Coupled with James Ward-Prowse’s dead ball delivery and a relentless press that has been fined tuned by Ralph Hasenhuttl this is a team that can cause anyone in the league problems. The issue is that if a team is good enough in possession, they’ll have no issues catching them out of place to score goals. This is why the match will come down to how focused United is.
Prediction
Anthony Elanga will grab the winner in a bounce back performance for Manchester United. Pick: Manchester United 2, Southampton 1