"A team that looks full of confidence" - Chris Sutton predicts the result of Manchester United vs Bournemouth

BBC pundit and former Blackburn Rovers forward Chris Sutton has predicted a comfortable win for Manchester United when they take on AFC Bournemouth in midweek. The Red Devils will host the Cherries at Old Trafford for a Premier League encounter on Tuesday, January 3.

United enter this game in fourth place in the standings with 32 points from 16 matches. They defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the Molineux in their last match to stretch their winning run to five games.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, are 15th in the Premier League, with 16 points from 17 matches, just two points above the relegation zone. Gary O'Neil's troops suffered a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace in their most recent game and enter this contest on a three-match losing streak.

Sutton feels Erik ten Hag's side could take advantage of Bournemouth's struggles and predicted a 3-0 win for Manchester United on Tuesday. He wrote in his column for the BBC:

"I am a bit worried about where Bournemouth are heading - they have lost six of their past seven league games and conceded two poor goals from set plays against Crystal Palace.

"With five successive wins in all competitions, Manchester United are heading in the opposite direction."

The 1994-95 Premier League winner also praised United forward Marcus Rashford, who has scored thrice and assisted once in his last five league games:

"It obviously helps a lot that Marcus Rashford is playing so well at the moment, but Erik ten Hag is doing a very good job and they are a team that looks full of confidence."

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AFC Bournemouth have beaten Manchester United just twice since 2015

Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth have clashed 10 times so far in the Premier League since 2015. Seven of those matches have ended in the Red Devils' favor, while the Cherries have won only twice.

The first of those victories came in their very first meeting back in December 2015 at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth won that game 2-1, courtesy of goals from Junior Stanislas and Joshua King, while Marouane Fellaini scored for United.

The Red Devils then won six of their next seven meetings (one draw) before the Cherries beat them 1-0 in November 2019. King was the goalscorer on that occasion as well.

Manchester United responded well to that defeat though, winning the most recent match between the two teams 5-2 in July 2020.

Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who are all expected to start on Tuesday, got a goal apiece while Mason Greenwood scored a brace. Stanislas and King were on the scoresheet for Bournemouth.