Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The Premier League has one of its most compelling Friday night fixtures of the season on tap. Manchester United head to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth in a match that carries serious implications at both ends of the table.
United arrive in Dorset in remarkable shape. Michael Carrick has lost just one of his first nine games as interim boss, with seven wins in that stretch including an impressive 3-1 home victory over Aston Villa last weekend. That run has propelled the Red Devils up to third in the table, right in the thick of the Champions League qualification race. A win on Friday would pile further pressure on the sides around them, with Liverpool and Chelsea both facing tricky away fixtures on Saturday.
Bournemouth are no pushover. Andoni Iraola’s side are unbeaten in their last ten Premier League games, the longest current unbeaten run in the division. Four straight draws have slowed their momentum slightly, but the Cherries remain in contention for European football and will be desperate to turn those draws into wins as the season enters its final stretch.
When these two sides met at Old Trafford in December, it finished 4-4 in one of the games of the season. Both teams are very different now.
How to Watch Bournemouth vs Manchester United
Kick-off is at 8pm GMT on Friday, March 20, at the Vitality Stadium in Boscombe, Dorset. For viewers in North America, that means a 4pm ET / 1pm PT start.
Here is how to watch by region:
United Kingdom: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go, NOW
United States: USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, SiriusXM FC
Canada: DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada
Mexico: TNT Sports, Max Mexico, TNT Go
Bournemouth Team News
GettyAndoni Iraola, Manager of AFC Bournemouth.
Injuries continue to test Iraola’s squad heading into this one. Tyler Adams is a doubt after picking up a knock in training ahead of last weekend’s draw at Burnley, with the Bournemouth boss admitting the turnaround to Friday’s game would be “tight” for the USMNT midfielder. Lewis Cook, Justin Kluivert, and Julio Soler all remain sidelined. Teenage Brazilian winger Rayan, signed in January to replace Antoine Semenyo, has been one of the brightest spots of the second half of the season and earned his first senior Brazil call-up this week.
Manchester United Team News
GettyBenjamin Sesko of Manchester United celebrates with teammate Matheus Cunha.
Carrick’s side picked up no fresh injury concerns in the Villa win. Mason Mount returned to the matchday squad after seven games out and could be in line for his first minutes since January. Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs de Ligt remain unavailable, while Lisandro Martinez is edging closer to a return. Bruno Fernandes continues to pull the strings as the primary playmaker, with the attacking trio of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Amad Diallo providing real danger on the counter. Benjamin Sesko has been a consistent threat off the bench and continues to find the net.
Prediction
United bounced back from their Newcastle defeat with a statement win over Villa and now carry real momentum into this one. Under Carrick, they have performed with a consistency that none of their top-four rivals have matched, and they arrive here six points clear of Chelsea in sixth with their eyes firmly on third place.
Bournemouth have punched above their weight for much of this season and their ten-game unbeaten run deserves credit. But an inability to turn draws into wins has stalled their campaign at a critical moment. Rarely have they faced a United side operating with this level of clarity and cohesion.
United to edge a tight one. Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester United.