Manchester United hope to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. Last Word on Football tries to patch together the Manchester United Predicted Lineup as the Red Devils aim to reclaim the third spot in the league with a win over the London side.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup vs Crystal Palace
Welcome to #MUFC training, Marcel Sabitzer! pic.twitter.com/VwQTKj8bUm
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 3, 2023
How Manchester United Have Lined-Up Recently
Erik ten Hag’s side have been enjoying a lot of good form over the last few months, only losing a single game since the season restarted after the World Cup. They have won their last 12 consecutive games at Old Trafford (in all competitions) and are aiming to keep that streak alive against Palace.
The Dutch gaffer appears to have found his perfect combination at the Manchester side. While Christian Eriksen’s unfortunate injury did deal a blow, United still have a pretty good starting eleven, who seem to have found their chemistry together. The back five appears to be set, with Raphael Varane forming an unbreakable partnership with Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw excellent at left-back – while David de Gea is almost unchallenged in his goalkeeper role.
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Casemiro has been in brilliant form in the last few months, while Bruno Fernandes is benefitting from a free role under Ten Hag too. Marcus Rashford is in devastating form, while Antony is starting to find his feet too. Anthony Martial might’ve struggled with injury issues, but has contributed positively to United whenever he’s been fit – which is why he is liked by the Dutch gaffer.
Manchester United Recent Form and Tactics
The Red Devils have had a pretty good start to 2023, having won seven out of their nine games across all competitions so far. That also saw them make their way into the Carabao Cup final after defeating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals and picking up a win over rivals Manchester City in the Premier League last month.
Ten Hag has encouraged the side to be more fearless and attack-minded as the season has progressed. He has stuck with his 4-3-3 system which encourages a lot of flexibility and for players to move into different positions to catch their opponents off guard. That is why defensive midfielder Casemiro can be seen making marauding forward runs and trying to create chances. Marcus Rashford is given more fluidity to move centrally from the left, helping him score a lot of goals this season.
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The striker – be it Martial or new arrival Wout Weghorst – is urged to come deep and drag defenders out of positions, opening up spaces for those around him. United have also considerably improved defensively from last season, with Varane and Martinez marshalling a rock-solid backline – while they are not also much comfortable as an entire unit in moving the ball smoothly from defence into attack.
United should remember the late misery they suffered in their previous game against Palace last month. They need to look to score multiple goals in this one and not slack off towards the end, which caused their frustrations in London. As long as the Red Devils’ players can draw energy from the roaring Old Trafford crowd and put in another highly energetic, effective display – they should get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Manchester United Injuries To Consider
Christian Eriksen has been ruled out until May after sustaining a nasty ankle injury in his side’s win over Reading in the FA Cup last month. Scott McTominay is also injured, but new arrival Marcel Sabitzer is more than capable of slotting into the midfield in their places – but is likely to only start from the bench against Palace. Diogo Dalot is also back in training after missing some games in January due to an injury.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup
David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial
