
An eighth-place finish is realistically the best that Bournemouth can hope for now, and that might be enough to qualify for next season’s UEFA Conference League. Manchester United are only two points clear of 17th, with their priorities now lying in Europe.
Bournemouth endured a poor run of results from the end of February through to the beginning of April, but a pair of decent draws at West Ham and Crystal Palace, plus an important home triumph over Fulham sandwiched in between, leaves them eighth in the table.
The Cherries have picked up more points on the road than at the Vitality Stadium this term. They had lost four on the bounce at home before the victory over the Cottagers two weeks ago.
Andoni Iraola’s team come into this fixture after achieving back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in 2025.
Man United have picked up just one point from their last four league games, meaning they may finish the weekend in 17th if all results go against them.
The unacceptable league form is a huge concern, but Ruben Amorim’s saving grace could come in the Europa League, where the Red Devils face Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
It took all the spirit that United could muster to complete a stunning comeback against Lyon in the quarter-final, and they are slight favourites against their Basque opponents, who sit fourth in La Liga.
Joshua Zirkzee will miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury, while Matthijs de Ligt is not yet ready to return from his ankle problem.
Man United came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium on their last visit, but either side of that fixture 12 months ago were two 3-0 victories for Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
The first of those comfortable successes was the Cherries’ first-ever away win against United, as Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing, and Marcos Senesi all found the net.
There were three different scorers again when history repeated itself last December. Dean Huijsen broke the deadlock before second-half efforts from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo made it another memorable afternoon for the travelling fans.
Bournemouth have had United’s number lately, but it was the Red Devils who prevailed more often than not until 2023.
Away wins have been hard to come by for the Red Devils, especially against top sides.
The best bet in this fixture is for Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams to commit a first-half foul.
Adams has been among the most frequent offenders for Bournemouth this term, registering 2.39 fouls per 90 for the Cherries in all competitions.
The American has developed a habit of getting stuck in early, picking up at least one first-half foul in each of his last seven starts, and committing multiple fouls before the break in four of those matches.
Amorim may rest some players with an eye on Thursday, but a start for Manuel Ugarte would be ideal for this bet, as the Uruguayan draws 1.75 fouls per 90 in the Premier League. Patrick Dorgu (fouled 2.72 times per 90 in the league) could also help us out if he plays left wing-back, as Adams would help cover that side.
Adams has committed a foul in each half in seven consecutive appearances, so I would suggest backing that too at a bigger price. The official selection, though, is for a first-half foul only.
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