Manchester United return to Premier League action this weekend at Old Trafford, welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion to town with hopes of building a winning streak after wins over Sunderland and Liverpool.
Here are three points of emphasis ahead of the Saturday match.
Brighton have become United’s bogey team in recent years, and former Red Danny Welbeck has played a major part in that. Danny Welbeck has never been a prolific goalscorer, but he has been a handful for the best in the business from day one, so this is no slight on the United centre-backs who have struggled to keep him quiet. Ruben Amorim’s got a big decision to make. Welbeck still has a quick burst in him, and with United playing at home, they’re going to play higher up the pitch for large parts of the game. Dropping Harry Maguire after his heroics last week will be a big call. At the same time, Leny Yoro has struggled against the more physical players in the league. Erling Haaland bullied him a few weeks ago, and Welbeck, like Haaland, enjoys a run down the channels. The result will probably hinge on the centre-back partnership that starts this game.
**United in Defensive Transition**
The Reds don’t have a mobile midfield. Mason Mount helps a little, but this is going to be a problem all season that United will just have to find a way to work around. Carlos Baleba, a summer target for United, hasn’t started the season well, but this is the sort of game where his strengths might come to the fore. It’ll come as no surprise if he goes on a few marauding runs from his own box with no one to stop him. United will have to be wily in how they deal with him and Brighton’s other quick forwards. They can’t concede a yellow card too early in the game, and Ruben Amorim will have to mentally prepare his side for this.
Last week, most of us expected Benjamin Sesko to start. Of course, it didn’t require much tactical acumen to learn why he was dropped to the bench. Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate can handle the best of them in the air, but form suggested that the Slovenian would get the nod. United rode their luck, but the decision paid off for the most part as Matheus Cunha’s positioning helped United win a lot of second balls in the first half. United are the home side, and Brighton is a side that can be got at, so going direct to Sesko would seem like the way to go. At the same time, as promising as Matheus Cunha has looked in many games this season, he has yet to register a goal contribution. He also possesses qualities that can enliven a crowd. There’ll be a desire from everyone connected with the club to give him as much time on the pitch as possible to get this monkey off his back. The team selection will give us a glimpse of how Ruben Amorim plans on managing the side this season. For now, it seems like a lot of tinkering will be on the cards.
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* [Manchester United: Premier League](/2010-2011-premier-league)