(Football news) Edwards acknowledged after defeating Bournemouth that he “will probably start losing sleep about Manchester City and trying to think about how to stop them,” knowing that his team will be a significant underdog at the Etihad and that they will be without several players due to injuries.
Luton has lost nine straight away league games by an aggregate score of 27-2. They have only won two of their 16 Premier League away games this season (D3 L13). Luton has also never prevailed in an away league game against the current top-flight champions.
Since the international break, the Red Devils have failed to win any of their last three top-flight matches following late drama in a 1-1 draw at Brentford, a 4-3 defeat at Chelsea and a 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool last weekend.
Two stunning second-half strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo put Man United ahead against their title-chasing Merseyside counterparts, but with six minutes remaining, Mohamed Salah restored parity for the visitors from the penalty spot after Aaron Wan-Bissaka lunged in late on Harvey Elliott.
Under the watchful eye of new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, manager Erik ten Hag is under increased pressure to keep his job, if reports are to be believed, as he sees his side sitting sixth in the Premier League table and 11 points adrift of both fifth-placed Aston Villa, who have played a game more, and Tottenham Hotspur in fourth spot.
Although a place in the Europa League beckons for Man United, they do have a favourable set of fixtures on the horizon, with encounters against Sheffield United, Burnley and Crystal Palace to follow Saturday’s meeting with Bournemouth, whom they have beaten in four of their last six league games at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth’s impressive five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, including four victories, came to an end last weekend when they let a one-goal lead slip in a 2-1 defeat at Luton Town.
Marcus Tavernier fired the Cherries in front seven minutes after the interval, but the Hatters equalised through Jordan Clark before Carlton Morris tapped home a 90th-minute winner, condemning Andoni Iraola’s men to their 12th league loss of the season.
With seven games remaining, Bournemouth have already exceeded last season’s points total of 39 (currently on 41) and are in no danger of entering the relegation picture, as they sit 12th in the table and 16 points clear of the bottom three.
The Cherries have only finished in the top half of the Premier League once, in ninth place in 2016–17. However, they are only seven points behind West Ham United in seventh place, who have played one more game, so a top–seven finish this season is not out of the question.
Bournemouth is excited to be back at the Vitality Stadium, where they have only lost two of their previous 11 home league games, to Man City (1-0) and Liverpool (4-0). As a premier league team, Iraola’s team has won three straight home games, but they have never won four in a row.
Also read: Manchester City will play Luton Town in EPL
