Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to continue their excellent run of form as they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday. The Seagulls have won three of their last four matches and will have a chance to push further up the table.
But, things could be tricky against a United side, who have registered four wins in their last five competitive matches. And in this article, we will talk about three United players Brighton should be careful about this weekend.
Marcus Rashford
It’s needless to say that Marcus Rashford is Manchester United’s weapon-in-chief. Following the departure of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, the English international has been the leader of the pack, and his presence will once again be crucial in this fixture.
We expect Rashford to be deployed on the left flank, with Anthony Martial leading the attack. His pace and tricky, coupled with his aggression, could put pressure on the Brighton centre-backs. And given Man United’s pacy attack, it won’t be surprising to see the visitors get caught on the break. Besides, Rashford tends to get into a more central role and provide a threat in the final third.
It might be a good idea from Graham Potter to employ a deep-defensive backline while putting a marker on Rashford as it prevents the Manchester United star from using his pace.
Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay has been one of Manchester United’s most impressive performers in recent weeks. The Scot looks like a natural replacement for Nemanja Matic, who has struggled a lot since arriving at Old Trafford.
McTominay’s contributions in midfield have been essential in providing more security in the build-up play. The midfielder often looks to drop deep and act as an auxiliary centre-back. He also plays a vital role in the second line of the press, alongside Fred, where both the players look to disrupt the rhythm of the opposition midfielders.
Therefore, Brighton will need to nullify the influence of McTominay as much as possible if they are to have any hopes of extending their winning run of form this weekend.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Defence isn’t the only area Potter’s side need to work on as the Seagulls would also look to provide ample threat going forward. Leandro Trossard, in particular, is likely to operate as the weapon-in-chief for the visitors on the left flank, with Pascal Gross starting on the opposite end of the pitch.
However, Trossard will be dealt with a monumental task of breaching Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose addition to the club has really fixed Man United’s problems at right-back. The ex-Crystal Palace star is known for his doggedness at the back and would look to minimise the threat of Trossard.
Potter could try and assign one of his central strikers to play a more flexible role and provide additional support to Trossard on the left flank. It will significantly increase the pressure on Bissaka.
