Preview
WEST BROM VS MANCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW, PREDICTION AND BETTING TIPS
Saturday, 17/12/2016
The Hawthorns
Bet on over 2.5 goals to be scored at 21/20 odds
Manchester United seems to have picked up their steam with successive victories in their last two games and will look to make it three in a row when they face West Brom away from home on Saturday evening. The Red Devils are still trailing the top four by six points and defeating the Baggies is their only chance to shrink the gap before Christmas. Zlatan Ibrahimovitch struck late on Wednesday evening to seal a crucial victory for Manchester United, which was their first consecutive win since August. Before the Swede’s dramatic winner, Paul Pogba slotted home in the stroke of half time. Crystal Palace responded fruitfully in the second half through a brilliant James McArthur strike but the former Juventas star intervened again to restore the lead for United. Pogba brilliantly shrugged off a handful of challenges before releasing the ball to Ibrahimovitch; the forward did no mistake to guide it into the net and claim the bragging rights for United.
West Brom have established themselves as a formidable opposition for any team in the league this season as they sit comfortably in the seventh position after sixteen weeks of Premier League football. They boast the traditional defensive resilience of a Toni Pulis team, lethally allied with a potent goal-scoring threat. West Brom’s 3-1 midweek victory over Swansea was their fourth win in six matches and took their goal tally to 23; surpassing the likes of United(22), Everton and Leicester(21). A win against United would bring them within a point’s distance of Jose Mourinho’s team and make them 6 points better off than last season at this stage.
Eric Bailly, who had just recovered from injury a few weeks earlier, was taken off early against Palace. He is having knee problems again but the exact extent of his injury is still unknown. Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingaard and Anthony Valencia would be hoping for a recall.
Johnny Evans might be fit to face his former club after dealing with a calf injury.
We would call it a hard-fought United win.
Bet on over 2.5 goals to be scored at 21/20 odds
RECENT FORM
- Manchester United(6th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
2-1(Away, Crystal Palace)1-0(Home, Spurs)2-0(UEL, Away, Zorya Luhansk)1-1(Away, Everton)4-1(EFL Cup, West Ham)
- West Bromwich Albion(7th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
3-1(Home, Swansea)0-1(Away, Chelsea)3-1(Home, Watford)1-1(Away, Hull)4-0(Home, Burnley)
HEAD TO HEAD
Total Played | United wins | West Brom wins | Draws |
128 | 54 | 43 | 31 |
LAST MEETING
6 March, 2016
The Hawthorns
Premier League
West Brom 1- Manchester United 0
INTERESTING FACTS
- West Brom’s last 20 home games against teams above them-6 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses
- Manchester United’s last 20 away games against teams below them-10 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses
- WBA have won three of their last six league meetings with Man Utd (W3 D1 L2) – this after previously going 18 league games without a win against them (D3 L15).
- Man Utd have suffered only one defeat in their last 12 league trips to West Brom (W9 D2 L1), but this defeat came in their last trip there in March (0-1).
- Wayne Rooney has scored seven goals and assisted four more in his last nine Premier League appearances against West Bromwich Albion.
- Wayne Rooney has now scored 248 goals for Manchester United in all competitions – just one behind Bobby Charlton’s all-time record of 249 goals.
- Rooney needs one more goal away from home in the Premier League to become the all-time top goalscorer in Premier League away games. He’s currently on 87 alongside Alan Shearer.
- West Brom have been given four red cards in the Premier League against Man Utd; against no side have they received more. One of these came last season, when Gareth McAuley was dismissed at Old Trafford.
- Salomon Rondon has scored 16 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season – 11 more than any other Baggies player (James Morrison on five).
- West Bromwich Albion have scored a joint league-high nine headed goals this season (the most alongside Crystal Palace).
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s nine goals have won Manchester United eight points this season. No other United player has seen their goals win the side more than two points.
- Ibrahimovic has scored 150 goals in his 169 league appearances since the start of 2011-12. He’s netted a goal in 99 of these games (59% of them).
Bet on over 2.5 goals to be scored at 21/20 odds