After picking up wins during the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign, both Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United have a chance to make an impressive early season statement when they face off on Saturday.
United arguably trudged their way to the finish line on opening day, picking up a 1-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford that left plenty to be desired. Brighton, meanwhile, notched the most impressive win of opening weekend with a 3-0 win at Everton, marking a successful start to Fabian Hurzler’s spell in charge of the club. Both teams still have plenty to prove at this early stage of the season, though this game could serve as a progress report of sorts for two ambitious sides.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 24 | Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
- Location: American Express Stadium — Brighton and Hove, England
- Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: Brighton and Hove Albion +145; Draw +270; Manchester United +165
Storylines
Manchester United’s win over Fulham was a mixed bag, in some ways a sign that Erik ten Hag was telling the truth when he said his team was “not ready” for the start of the season. They only edged out Fulham slightly on possession and shots, their midfield looking disjointed and failing to impress during a match in which they were the heavy favorites. Ten Hag, though, can take positives from the fact that they generated 2.43 expected goals during the game and conceded just 0.44, the latter stat a nice departure from their leaky defensive tendencies last season.
A little bit like last campaign, though, United are still carrying some notable injuries to start the season. Rasmus Hojlund, who scored 10 league goals during a hot-and-cold opening year at Old Trafford, is out with a hamstring injury while defenders like Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro are also expected to miss Saturday’s game. It creates another imperfect environment for United, but the big question ahead of the match against Brighton is if last week’s uneven showing is just a building block, or a signal that they are in for another challenging season.
Prediction
If there’s a game on the schedule this weekend in which there’s potential for an upset, it just might be this one. United’s struggles against Fulham could be attributed to the rust of preseason, but they were similarly unimpressive for much of last season, suggesting that they are due to pick up from where they left off. Brighton, meanwhile, have long had an ability to punch above their weight while winning the games they should, including last week’s dominant win over Everton. Expect a strong showing from Brighton, and perhaps even a win, too. Pick: Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Manchester Untied 0
