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Manchester United travel to face AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils have faced the Cherries 23 times in English football history. United have come out on top 14 times in the fixture but Bournemouth have won five games, while there have been four draws between the two sides.
Here are three storylines to watch out for before the match.
The Cherries are becoming a bogey side
The two teams have had very different trajectories this season. United are wallowing in 14th position while Bournemouth are eighth place in the league table.
But whilst Ruben Amorim’s side have dominated the fixture historically, Bournemouth have had more to shout about lately.
Andoni Iraola’s side crushed United 3-0 at Old Trafford just before Christmas and they also beat Erik ten Hag’s United 3-0 away in December 2023.
The match on the south coast last season ended up in a 2-2 draw. In fact, the Red Devils have not won a match against the Cherries since May 2023, when Casemiro scored the solitary goal of the match.
In fact, Bournemouth have picked up as many points in the last three games (7), than they had in their previous 12 contests against the Red Devils.
Bournemouth could become sixth team to do league double over United this season
A win against United in the past used to be a rare and joyous occasion for fans of other teams.
Nowadays, they sometimes don’t seem too much effort at all. Amorim’s side lost their 15th league game of the season last weekend. Were Bournemouth to win on the south coast tomorrow, they would become the sixth team this season to do the league double over United.
They would join a not so exclusive club of Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Brighton and Hove Albion.
A loss for Man United would mean “the most (league doubles against) in a single campaign since 1933-34 (6), and most in a top-flight campaign since 1930-31 (9).”
West Ham United remain the last team who have the opportunity to do the league double over the Red Devils next month.
Bruno Fernandes looking for league assist double figures
One of the few players who can hold his head up high at the end of the season for United is captain Bruno Fernandes.
Were it not for the 30-year-old midfielder’s fine performances this season, the prospect of a relegation battle for the Old Trafford side could have been very real. He has an impressive eight goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season.
Fernandes will hope to get an assist tomorrow, so he will reach only his second ever season of double digit league assists in England. He also managed the feat in the 2020/2021 campaign, getting 12. Therefore, four more in the final five matches could see him beat his highest ever total.
He is also only two behind second-placed assist maker, Jacob Murphy, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah way out in front on 18.
Featured image Nathan Stirk via Getty Images
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