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.
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.
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
Liam’s prediction: I am going, and it will be good to get back in there and hear everyone singing. It is a big blow to be without Hojlund who had really found his form at the end of last season, and looks so fearless. I still think we will win though, and I don’t really care how – getting three points is the most important thing. 2-0
Liam on Ten Hag: I really like him and I am glad he stayed. I would like to think that even if results are not great to begin with, the owners who stuck by Ten Hag in the summer will take into consideration the injuries we have got and give him some time.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
