Premier League: Fulham Plan to Raid Old Trafford Anew in Opener

Manchester United vs Fulham

Fulham will open their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a trip to Old Trafford, as they’ll take on Manchester United on Friday night.

The Cottagers will look to improve from their 13^th place finish last term, and getting a road win over the Red Devils is a good way to start.

Manchester United are also aiming to have a better campaign after suffering their worst-ever league finish in eighth place, and they’re keen to bounce back from their narrow defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend.

The pre-game SBOTOP betting odds have Erik ten Hag’s men as the favourites to win, but Marco Silva and co. have shown before that they can perform well and get a win in the Theatre of Dreams.

Talking Points

Will this trio make their Manchester United debuts?

Manchester United are one of the busiest teams this summer, as they’ve managed to add four key players to their roster thus far. Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro were the first official signings under INEOS, and Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt recently followed suit.

Yoro made his Red Devils debut in a Club Friendly against Arsenal. However, he won’t be available for selection in the meantime because he went under the knife to fix his injured foot last week.

Zirkzee was supposed to make his debut in the Community Shield against Manchester City because of Rasmus Hojlund’s injury, but Erik ten Hag decided to have Bruno Fernandes as the False 9.

Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are much-needed defencive reinforcements for Manchester United, so there’s a chance for them to make their debuts against Fulham, most likely off the bench, while Joshua Zirkzee could draw his first start.

The one position Erik ten Hag needs to find a solution for right away is the left-back position since Luke Shaw is injured once again. Shaw being sidelined could open an opportunity for 17-year-old Harry Amass to start, although we won’t be surprised if Lisandro Martinez plays there again.

Can Muniz pick up where he left off for Fulham?

If the Cottagers are going to make it back to the top half of the table, it’ll likely be on the back of another successful season from their young striker, Rodrigo Muniz.

The 23-year-old went through a goal drought at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, but he never looked back once he was able to find his scoring touch in Fulham’s 2-2 draw against Burnley in February.

Muniz finished as the team’s top scorer with nine Premier League goals and he also won the Premier League Player of the Month award in March.

Like Manchester United, Fulham have made key acquisitions this summer in the form of Ryan Sessegnon Emile Smith Rowe, and Jorge Cuenca.

Emile Smith Rowe is the one to watch since he is playing with a huge chip on his shoulder. The former Arsenal midfielder had a dream debut during Fulham’s pre-season game against Sevilla, as he scored his first goal for his new club within the first seven minutes.

History

Manchester United have had their way against Fulham historically, as they’ve only lost four of their 34 Premier League meetings (W24, D6). However, one of those came in their most recent encounter in February, as Marco Silva’s men won 2-1 at Old Trafford, courtesy of goals from Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi.

If Fulham win again on Friday, it’ll mark the first time they’ve beaten Manchester United in consecutive games. These two teams will meet on the opening matchday for only the fourth time ever, with all three previous meetings being losses for the Cottagers. (1-0 in 1950-51, 3-2 in 2001-02, and 5-1 in 2006-07).

Manchester United are the first Premier League side to start their campaign with a home game in eight straight seasons.

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2024 odds have the Red Devils as the overwhelming favourites this weekend. Manchester United are priced at 1.49, whereas Fulham are 5.00 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.25 in the 1X2 market.

While this game might go either way, the one thing we’re sure of is that football fans will get their healthy dose of Premier League 2024 highlights since both teams will likely find the back of the net.

So, other than our recommended bet above, you can also go for alternatives like Over 3.25 at 2.03, Over 3.50 at 2.28, or go a little bit conservative with Total Goal 2-3 at 2.10.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.