English Premier
2010-12-26 - Manchester United vs Sunderland
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football : English Premier League
Sunday 26 December 2010 - Kickoff 3pm
Manchester United
Manchester United have been 'fortunate' to have a couple weeks off due to postponements in 2 of their last 3 fixtures, but the real fortune has been that none of their rivals had an opportunity or took the chance to make use of it. There were rumours that United were unhappy with the Chelsea game being called off last Sunday, but it did allow players to recover fitness while others like Paul Scholes will be available when the game is rescheduled.
The Red Devils remain top of the Premier League thanks to picking up 34 points in an unbeaten season so far. United have a 2 point lead over Arsenal and Manchester City, and a further point over Chelsea with the Blues heading to the Emirates Stadium on Monday. The points to lead United to the top of the table have come through wins at Old Trafford where they are 8-1-0 this season, scoring 25 goals and conceding just 6. That makes them the top scorers at home in the League.
United will have not played for just under 2 weeks when this game kicks off as they look to build on their 1-0 win over Arsenal. That was their 7th win in their last 8 games in all competitions at Old Trafford, and 5th Premier League victory at home in a row. The game against Arsenal was the first time United had failed to score 2 or more in a League game at home, but that could have remained intact if Wayne Rooney had not missed a penalty.
Paul Scholes and John O'Shea are out for this game. Nemanja Vidic and Anderson were both doubts last week for the game with Chelsea, but have recovered from flu.
Sunderland
Steve Bruce must be so pleased with his sides performances so far this season and will be hoping they can continue with that in this tough fixture. There should be some confidence in a side that recently won 0-3 at Stamford Bridge, and much of their success has been based on a strong defence.
The Black Cats were given the go ahead to play their Premier League fixture last week and found another 3 points and a clean sheet with a win over Bolton. That kept Sunderland in 6th place in the Premier League and improved their points tally to 27, the same amount as Tottenham albeit with 1 more game played. They do continue to find it harder to play away from home, compiling a 1-5-3 record this season, scoring 10 goals and conceding 13.
As I mentioned above, that 1 win came thanks to an impressive display of counter attacking and finishing in a 0-3 win at Chelsea. Since then, they have lost at Wolves 3-2 and drawn with Fulham 0-0. Sunderland have lost 1 away game from 4 since losing 5-1 at Newcastle United. The Black Cats now have 3 clean sheets in a row overall.
Michael Turner, Titus Bramble and John Mensah all miss out for Sunderland as they are struggling for centre backs. It is likely that Nedum Onouha and Anton Ferdinand will be partnered at the back. Lee Cattermole is suspended (again) while Frazier Campbell is out. Most disappointingly for Sunderland will be the absence of Danny Welbeck who cannot play against his parent club. Welbeck has 5 goals in his last 6 games for the Black Cats.
Head to Head
Manchester United were lucky to escape with a 0-0 draw from the Stadium of Light earlier this season. Sunderland were easily the better team and deserved all 3 points.
United have a strong record against Sunderland in recent meetings, winning 10 of the last 14 against them.
However, Sunderland picked up a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last season when it took a 90th minute own goal from Anton Ferdinand to save a point for United. The Black Cats have 2 draws from their last 4 trips to Old Trafford, losing the other 2 games 1-0.
Prediction
This is a much tougher test for United than the incredibly short odds would have you believe. Aside from the recent demolition of Blackburn here, United have won close matches with Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves, and they are once again relying on a strong defence now that Rio Ferdinand has returned to full fitness.
Sunderland have shown their resilience in the majority of their games this season. They have picked up results against all the big teams and Steve Bruce is likely to make it tough for his old side again. The absence of Welbeck is a concern but Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan will pose problems.
I just cant see United running away with this one although I think the mini-break the team has had will be good for ensuring the players are raring to go. It could be a close game, but I expect United can take advantage of a few problems Sunderland have at the back.
I am going to back United to win by 1 goal here. The last 3 times they have beaten Sunderland has been by 1 goal and there are also 2 draws to throw in at Old Trafford. I just feel United have enough quality to get the 3 points here and really put the pressure on Arsenal and Chelsea for their game on Monday, but I know Sunderland will make this tough.
United to win by 1 goal will be my bet.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Manchester United 2-1 Sunderland
