Manchester United vs Bournemouth prediction: Fernandes to lead United to victory

Manchester United host Bournemouth in the Premier League tonight, with both sides hoping to build momentum ahead of the festive period (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Ruben Amorim’s side eventually ran away with a 4-1 win away at Wolves last week and they start today in eighth, though they could climb as high as fifth with a victory tonight as they look to maintain their push for the European places.

However, the difficult fixtures come thick and fast in December, with this match against the Cherries followed by a trip to high-flying Aston Villa and a Boxing Day clash with Newcastle.

Bournemouth come into this match in 15th place in the league, five points behind United, but while the Cherries have now gone six games without a win, Andoni Iraola’s side are still capable of beating most Premier League opposition on their day.

They have an excellent recent record at Old Trafford too, winning 3-0 on their last two visits, though betting sites have the hosts as the firm favourites for this one, with Premier League odds of 4/5 for a United win versus 31/10 for an away victory.

It may come as a surprise that United are such heavy favourites in this one given their recent performances at Old Trafford, though the fact that the Cherries are winless in their last six suggests that the visitors will struggle tonight.

Bournemouth have had problems in both defence and attack in recent games, winning just one of their last eight games amid some issues with injuries in defence.

Recent draws with Crystal Palace and West Ham highlight some defensive weaknesses, while the losses to Villa, Sunderland and Everton highlight both defensive and attacking problems in Iraola’s side of late, with just two clean sheets in their last 10 games.

However, United have only won two of their last five matches – against Wolves and Crystal Palace – and they have conceded in all of these, with a total of six goals allowed.

The draw against West Ham last time out at home, and the loss to Everton before that, rank as United’s poorest home performances of the season, and the Cherries could find joy in attack if they pick their moments and put plenty of pressure on the hosts.

Nevertheless, the hosts should have enough firepower to get past the Cherries tonight, especially if Bryan Mbeumo and Amad can play before being released for the Africa Cup of Nations

With this in mind, though we do think the hosts should have enough for the win, a wager on a United victory and both teams looks a strong option on football betting sites.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth prediction 1: Man Utd to win & both teams to score - 15/8 Ladbrokes

Bruno Fernandes’s brace against Wolves capped a brilliant overall performance from the midfielder last week, and while the opponents were statistically the worst in the league, the Portuguese has looked in fine form in recent weeks.

The United captain has six assists in his last eight games to go with those two goals against Wolves, and while he has been guilty of not scoring enough so far this season, he has grown as an attacking threat in recent weeks and has been unlucky not to find the net more often.

Fernandes remains the key cog in the United attack, and when he plays well United tend to do so too. Perhaps obviously, he tends to thrive against teams that take the game to United more – as he’s often afforded more space – and with the Cherries not expected to sit off like other visiting teams, the Portuguese could find plenty of joy tonight.

Even better news is that Fernandes to score or assist against Bournemouth has been boosted to even-money by William Hill, one of the best bookmakers for price boost offers.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth prediction 2: Bruno Fernandes to score or assist - Evens William Hill

Betfred have a free bet offer for tonight’s game with punters offered a refund on all losing bet builders.

Bettors must opt in to the promotion on Betfred’s promotions page and then build their own bet builder for the game. Pre-built bet builders will not qualify.

The bet builder must contain at least three legs and have combined odds of 3/1 or greater.

If your bet builder doesn’t win, Betfred will refund all losing bets, up to a maximum of £5, in free bets within 24 hours of the full-time whistle.

If you plan to have a bet on Manchester United vs Bournemouth, make sure to gamble responsibly.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using online bookmakers, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

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