The key talking topics ahead of Man Utd’s Sunday afternoon Premier League matchup with Luton Town.
Ahead of their Sunday afternoon trip to Luton Town in the Premier League, Manchester United is back to feeling good.
Going into the game, Erik ten Hag’s team has won six of their last eight games in all competitions and is on a six-game winning streak.
After winning on the road against Aston Villa the previous weekend, they will now need to triumph when the pressure is on at Kenilworth Road later today if they are to keep their Champions League dreams alive. Prior to the game, the following are the key talking points:
An exclusive examination
Is the pitch longer or shorter? Are the referees not coming? When Ten Hag was asked about the special sensation of facing Luton away from home, he responded with a masterful argumentative maneuver. Ignorance or not, that was a well-made point.
The United boss will not be put off by the idea of traveling to Kenilworth Road later today because he has seen a wide variety of atmospheres throughout his time in the game.
Perhaps he ought to be, though. This season, Luton has defeated Liverpool at home and regrettably has not done the same against Man City or Arsenal.
United must not undervalue their modest opponents and think it would be an easy win after blowing two-goal leads in their last two away victories against Wolves and Newport.
Left at left-back, who is it?
Given the injury news coming into the game, Ten Hag would prefer to use the same lineup that defeated Villa Park last Saturday, but that may not be feasible.
Due to his withdrawal at halftime a week ago, Luke Shaw is questionable for the match, and Tyrell Malacia and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are still out. Diogo Dalot is the only fit full-back for United going into the game, and he will almost certainly be needed on his usual right side of defense.
The two front-runners for a temporary fix are Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans, albeit the former had trouble during his introduction a week ago. Evans may not have the most spectacular name, but he is one of the team’s most dependable defenders, so taking a chance on him might be worthwhile.
Speaking of six, let’s speak about it. With five goals in his past five Premier League games, infant Rasmus Hojlund needs to improve his record to six from six.
The fact that he is scoring both fantastic and scrappy goals, which is the best indication that he is meeting all of his teammates’ expectations, will most likely please his management.
At Villa Park, Hojlund gave his best all-around performance, contributing with his linking play, defensive work, and all-around pressing style in addition to his well-executed goal.
The Danish forward is enjoying the fruits of his labor after working hard on the training field every day. He exudes confidence. Now is the moment to discuss six.
Top-four aspirations
After defeating Villa last weekend, United revived their hopes of finishing in the top four, but a huge victory like that will mean very little if they lose more points tonight.
They are still outsiders in the competition for Champions League football despite their remarkable run of play, so they will be cautious not to let up the momentum that has brought them back into the picture.
Making sure they don’t become overly complacent will be another crucial factor. It would be quite easy to assume that after defeating Villa away from home, they will easily defeat Luton today. Nothing may be taken for granted by them.
A squad debut might be necessary.
Due to United’s defensive deficiencies, another squad debut may occur today. Shaw’s health will probably be the deciding factor, but if he chooses not to travel, young defender Harry Amass might be considered for a spot on the traveling team.
Although he is still somewhat of a backup, the 16-year-old practiced with the team last week and is at least a left-back specialist, which is something they do not currently have on hand.
In search of a specialist to step in at the senior level, Louis van Gaal gave another academy full-back, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, a chance. Amass may receive a similar opportunity in the future.
He still has little chance of being involved today, much less making the bench. It would only take one more sickness or injury for him to maybe be catapulted into the spotlight as a senior.
