Manchester United will aim to secure a third consecutive Premier League win when it heads on the road to face Norwich on Saturday.
The Red Devils appear rejuvenated after manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired. They won just once in the final eight games of the Norwegian’s tenure, but they have since drawn with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, before winning back-to-back games against Arsenal and Crystal Palace.
That saw Man Utd climb up to sixth in the Premier League table. Now it will aim to maintain the momentum against Norwich, which is bottom of the standings.
Norwich City FC vs. Manchester United
Saturday, December 11, 2021 – 12:30 PM EST at Carrow Road
Norwich Struggles at Both Ends of the Pitch
Norwich also recently fired its manager after a disastrous run of results. Dean Smith did well after replacing Daniel Farke in the dugout, with one win and two draws from his first three games in charge, but the Canaries lost 3-0 to Tottenham at the weekend.
Relegation rival Newcastle beat Burnley, so Norwich returned to the bottom of the table. It has just two wins, four draws, and nine defeats from 15 games. Norwich has the worst attacking record in the league, with only eight goals scored, and the worst defensive record too, having conceded 31 times already.
Man Utd Owns the Head-to-Heads
Norwich also has the worst home record in the Premier League. It has one win, two draws, and four defeats from seven games at Carrow Road this season.
This is the sort of game that Man Utd should win comfortably. It is generally strong on the road, and it won 3-1 on its last visit to Norwich. It has won the last four meetings between these teams.
Veteran German coach Ralf Ragnick has replaced Solskjaer on an interim basis until the end of the season. He favors an unusual 4-2-2-2 formation, with most players concentrated in the middle of the pitch.
It was very effective against Crystal Palace at the weekend, as Man Utd controlled the game and did not allow the Eagles to create many chances. Brazilian midfielder Fred was a major beneficiary of the system, and he scored the only goal of the game.
Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo had a reasonably quiet game alongside Marcus Rashford in attack, and he will be determined to make a strong impact against Norwich.
Team News
Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were injured after coming off the bench during the game against Crystal Palace, and they may not be ready to face Norwich this weekend.
That would limit Ragnick’s attacking options, as Edinson Cavani is also injured, but he still has Ronaldo, Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, and Jadon Sancho at his disposal.
Paul Pogba, Raphaël Varane, and Luke Shaw are all injured.
Man Utd has a midweek Champions League game against Young Boys, but they have already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition, so Ragnick can rest key players for that match.
Norwich is missing Sam Byram, Christoph Zimmermann, Mathias Normann, and Milot Rashica through injury. Brandon Williams is unavailable for this game too, as he is on loan from Man Utd and ineligible to face his parent club.
Pick
For your soccer picks, Man Utd is the heavy favorite to win this game at the best sportsbooks after its upturn in form over the past couple of weeks.
DraftKings is offering +110 on Man Utd -1.25 Asian handicap, which looks like a great option.
That means you win if Man Utd wins by two or more goals, and you lose half your stake if it wins by a single goal. You can find Man Utd -1 Asian handicap – whereby a one-goal win for Man Utd results in a push – at -123 with Bet365 if you are feeling more cautious.
Soccer Pick: Man Utd -1.25 Asian Handicap (+110) at DraftKings
