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BBC Sport's Chris Sutton has boldly predicted Fulham to hold Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in the 2024-25 Premier League season opener. He provided a detailed analysis ahead of the clash which is set to take place at Old Trafford on Friday, August 16.
The Red Devils were extremely inconsistent last season under Erik ten Hag, despite defeating Manchester City in the final to win the FA Cup. They finished eighth in the league with 60 points, 31 points behind champions Manchester City, and will be desperate to start this season on a positive note.
In addition, Manchester United also suffered a narrow defeat to the Cityzens in the FA Community Shield final, losing 7-6 on penalties after the tie ended 1-1 in normal time (August 10). They also lost three out of their five friendlies during pre-season, including a 2-1 loss to Arsenal and a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Sutton made his prediction, writing (via BBC Sport):
"The first weekend of the season is always tricky to predict for various reasons, and with Manchester United I really don't know what to expect. I am not going to give them a win just because they are Manchester United and have had some great teams in the past, put it that way."
"They won the FA Cup final with a good performance against Manchester City, but they finished eighth in the Premier League and their manager Erik ten Hag will be under pressure from the off. I remember their start to last season when they beat Wolves in their first game but were very unconvincing, and this time performances are really important for Ten Hag, as well as results."
He added:
"Fulham sold Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich in the summer, and the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Willian and Tim Ream have all left too. They had a pretty decent season last time out and, although their results did drop off in the last couple of months of the campaign, they won at Old Trafford in February."
"I can see them getting something this time, too. I can only base these predictions on what I see and I have not seen enough good performances from United under Ten Hag to have any confidence in them playing well."
He concluded:
"Ten Hag has made a few new signings but they will miss injured striker Rasmus Hojlund up front, and they need to show they can control this kind of game at home."
Sutton's Prediction: 1-1
What happened the last time Manchester United faced Fulham in the Premier League?
Premier League is set to return later tonight as Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford. They will be seeking to avenge their 2-1 loss on February 24 earlier this year, when the Cottagers clinched a thrilling away win last season.
Both sides played out an entertaining game with United and Fulham landing 21 and 17 shots in total respectively. Calvin Bassey gave the visitors the lead in the 65th minute before Harry Maguire leveled the scores in the 89th minute. Alex Iwobi proved to be the hero, finding the bottom-left corner with a good finish in the seventh minute of stoppage time to seal the win.
Despite their recent loss, Manchester United still have an exceptional record against Fulham. They have lost just four out of their 34 league matches against the Cottagers, winning 24, and drawing six, and will be the favorites to win tonight.
