Manchester United will aim to end the 2022/23 Premier League campaign strongly when they welcome Fulham to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The 2022/23 Premier League season will end on Sunday, with all ten matches kicking off simultaneously. While there is still a lot to play for at the bottom of the table, some games will be dead rubbers. And one such fixture will see Manchester United hosting Fulham at Old Trafford.
When Erik ten Hag took charge of Manchester United’s first team nearly a year ago, his primary objective would have been guiding the club back to the UEFA Champions League. Anything over and above that was going to be a bonus. So after winning the Carabao Cup and clinching a top-four finish, the Dutchman will be satisfied with the campaign thus far.
But ten Hag will unlikely be satisfied with just the two achievements, considering the Red Devils have the FA Cup final against Manchester City next week. And the Manchester United manager will be eager to keep his troops fit and firing for his team’s last game of the 2022/23 season.
On the other hand, Fulham would have been desperate to stop the yo-yo-ing between the Premier League and the EFL Championship after returning to the top flight. So Marco Silva and the club’s owner Shahid Khan should be delighted with sealing a top-half finish.
The Cottagers have been a difficult opponent this season, producing memorable results against Liverpool and Chelsea. And irrespective of the results on Sunday, Fulham will finish tenth. So they can play freely on Sunday, considering they have nothing on the line in the game.
Manchester United and Fulham have clashed twice this season, with the Red Devils winning both games. While they needed an injury-time winner in the reverse fixture, they came from a goal down to clinch a 3-1 win in the FA Cup quarter-finals. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
🗣️ “I always have high expectations of myself and I think this club belongs in the Champions League. This league is very strong, many teams that are competing and fighting for the position.”
Erik ten Hag admits it’s been a very good season for Man Utd but they want more. 💪 pic.twitter.com/lHYYXFD1QZ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 26, 2023
Erik ten Hag has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s last Premier League fixture this season. Against Fulham on Sunday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Antony is the latest absentee after sustaining an ankle injury on Thursday against Chelsea. And the Brazilian international will likely miss the FA Cup final versus Manchester City next weekend. Antony has joined Lisandro Martinez (foot), Phil Jones (knee), Marcel Sabitzer (knee), and Donny van de Beek (knee) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, ten Hag has been sweating over the fitness of Luke Shaw, who picked up a back injury on Thursday. But the Englishman has resumed training and should be available to take on Fulham. However, he might not feature on Sunday, keeping one eye on the FA Cup final.
So Tyrell Malacia will likely start as the left-back, with Erik ten Hag likely to make more changes to the starting eleven. But David de Gea should start between the sticks again, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Diogo Dalot should come in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back, with Harry Maguire returning to afford Raphael Varane some rest.
As for the midfield unit, Christian Eriksen will unlikely feature on Sunday. And ten Hag should also preserve Casemiro for the FA Cup final. So Fred and Scott McTominay will pair up in the double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes reprising his usual no. 10 role.
Anthony Martial is another player whose fitness has been a concern this season. So he will get some rest on Sunday, with Marcus Rashford spearheading the Manchester United attack against Fulham. Finally, Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho should be the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia; Fred, McTominay; Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford
Fulham
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Marco Silva has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Fulham manager should be without three first-team players on Sunday.
The good news is that Daniel James should be fit enough to be a part of the matchday squad. The Welsh international has been recovering from a thigh injury and has been training recently. But Tim Ream (arm), Layvin Kurzawa (knee), and Andreas Pereira (ankle) remain on the sidelines.
Bernd Leno has made a world of difference since arriving from Arsenal last summer. And the German goalkeeper will feature between the sticks on Sunday, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
"We should celebrate what we've done." 💪@ThomasCairney speaks ahead of #MUNFUL.
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) May 26, 2023
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson are the first-choice full-backs. And the duo will pair up one last time this season on the flanks. Meanwhile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Issa Diop should form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Joao Palhinha and Harrison Reed. Palhinha has been another phenomenal signing and will look to keep Bruno Fernandes in check in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Tom Cairney should be the most advanced midfielder for Fulham.
Finally, Aleksandar Mitrovic is an automatic pick as the central striker. The Serb will spearhead the Fulham attack against Manchester United on Sunday, with Willian and Harry Wilson being the two wide men.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Cairney, Willian; Mitrovic
Key Stats
- After losing back-to-back Premier League games against Fulham in March/December 2009, Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 14 against the Cottagers (W11 D3). The Cottagers have lost 18 of their most recent 21 away league games versus Manchester United, with their only win in that time coming in October 2003 under Chris Coleman (3-1). However, they have come away with a draw in two of their last three Premier League visits to Old Trafford.
- Manchester United have won all five of their Premier League games against promoted sides this season, last winning all six in a single campaign back in 2011/12.
- Fulham have only won three of their 53 Premier League away games against sides in the top four of the table, drawing 12 and losing 38. Those wins came at Manchester United (3-1 in October 2003), Tottenham Hotspur (1-0 in March 2013) and Leicester City (2-1 in November 2020).
- Manchester United have lost their final league game in two of the last four seasons (W2), as many times as they had in their previous 33 top-flight campaigns before this (W23 D8). On the other hand, the Cottagers have lost their final league game in four of the most recent five campaigns (D1), going down 4-0 at Sheffield United in the Championship last season.
- Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 14 Premier League goals this season, including three in his two games since returning from suspension. Only Clint Dempsey (17 in 2011/12) and Dimitar Berbatov (15 in 2012/13) have ever netted more in a single season for Fulham.
Player to Watch
Diogo Dalot
Things have not been easy for Diogo Dalot since the break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup ended. The Portuguese international was the undisputed first-choice right-back in the first half of the campaign. But he has had to share game time with Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the last five months. And there is a feeling that Wan-Bissaka has edged ahead of Dalot in recent weeks.
But Dalot’s stock remains high at Manchester United, considering he is on the verge of signing a new contract. However, he will be eager to become the first-choice right-back again, especially with Manchester United in the market for a right-back. And ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup final, a solid performance can sway Erik ten Hag.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-0 Fulham
Fulham will take the game to Manchester United, despite not having anything on the line this weekend. Aleksandar Mitrovic, in particular, will be out for blood after his dismissal in the FA Cup clash in March. And the Serbian striker has been in fine form since serving his suspension.
But the Red Devils possess one of the most solid home records in Europe’s top-five leagues. And despite resting a few players, they will have enough quality to keep Fulham at bay. Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford should find the back of the net to guide Manchester United to a 2-0 win, ending the Premier League campaign strongly.
