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2022/23 English Premier League
Matchday 37
Bournemouth v Manchester United
Vitality Stadium
Bournemouth, England
Saturday, 20 May 2023
Kick-off is at 16h00
Manchester United will look to stay in control of their own destiny when they make the long journey to the south coast to take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, May 20.
The Red Devils halted a two-match losing streak in the
Premier League when they beat Wolves 2-0 at Old Trafford last Saturday to go level with Newcastle (3rd) on 66 points in fourth place.
Erik ten Hag's side have a game in hand on the Magpies and Liverpool but they cannot afford any more slip-ups in the race for UEFA Champions League football, with the Reds breathing down their necks just a further point behind in fifth spot.
United have a vastly inferior goal difference to their top-four rivals and won't want to leave anything to chance in their final three matches against the Cherries, Chelsea and Fulham.
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Bournemouth have retained their top-flight status thanks to results at the bottom-end of the table after Leicester (19th) lost and Leeds (18th) drew last weekend.
Gary O'Neil's team failed to pick up any points from their last two outings following back-to-back defeats against Chelsea (3-1) and Crystal Palace (2-0) but an eight-point cushion to the relegation zone with two matches left to play means they are safe.
Jefferson Lerma has been an almost ever-present for the Cherries this season, playing the entire 90 minutes on 31 occasions and missing just one game. The Colombian holding midfielder had chipped in with some important goals, bagging a brace against Leeds on April 30 to take his tally for the campaign to five.
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Anthony Martial is playing for his future after seeing another season derailed by injury. The Frenchman has been given a chance to impress up front in recent games and scored in the wins over Everton and Wolves to make it five goals in 18 outings. He could yet have an important part to play as United look to add the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet after lifting the EFL Cup earlier this year.
In team news, The hosts remain without Hamed Traore (ankle), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Ryan Fredericks (calf) and Junior Stanislas, while Lisandro Martinez, Tom Heaton (both ankle), Donny van de Beek, Marcel Sabitzer (both knee), Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford are all ruled out of the trip to the south coast.
O'Neil admitted the Cherries were well below their standards against the Eagles and has challenged his players to raise their game against United and the Toffees to avoid finishing the season on a disappointing note.
"We were really poor today. I think we dropped below our level for the first time in a while," he said. "Thirty-nine points is a good tally but it's a good lesson for everybody involved that if we're not desperate, and we're not at 120 per cent, like we have been recently, fighting for every single ball and every point, then you get well beaten.
"It was probably one of our worst displays. We didn't cause them any issues. I told my players the loss feels terrible. Now we need to use this to make sure the next two don't feel like this."
Ten Hag hailed the impact made by Alejandro Garnacho against Wolves after the teenager made his comeback from an ankle injury to seal a 2-0 win. The United head coach has thrown the gauntlet down to the Argentine to establish himself as a first-team regular.
"Garna, everyone can see it, He came in and did almost everything good, and scored a great goal that will give him belief. It's good for us for the rest of the season that he's back and can have an impact," the Dutchman said.
"One of the aspects of the biggest talent is that they are mature. First, they take responsibility then second, they are mature to bring in the skills and have belief that they can dominate opponents.
"Once again, he did it. He has had a big impact in many games: whether starting or coming on, he's straight into the game and that's so important for the squad.
"I'm happy we can bring in young players and, hopefully, he will progress so quickly that he can compete for a starting XI position, because that is his next challenge."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Bournemouth - 1
Man United - 4
Draws - 0
Matchday 37 fixtures:
Saturday, May 20
13h30: Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford
16h00: Bournemouth v Manchester United
16h00: Fulham v Crystal Palace
16h00: Liverpool v Aston Villa
16h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
18h30: Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Sunday, May 21
14h30: West Ham United v Leeds United
15h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Southampton
17h00: Manchester City v Chelsea
Monday, May 22
21h00: Newcastle United v Leicester City
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