United Beyond Manchester

Manchester United take a five-match unbeaten run into an intriguing matchup with Luton Town. United are five points back on the top four after the late win against Aston Villa and must continue the winning form to stay in the race.

Historical Highlight

The only time Luton Town and Manchester United have met in the league was the November match at Old Trafford. In Erik Ten Hag’s 50th appearance on the touchline for United, Victor Lindelof’s goal led to a win for the Red Devils. His 59th-minute goal following a corner ended as the winner in a 1-0 win that was nowhere near comfortable for the hosts.

Current Form

Manchester United are finally winning games. United have won four of the past five matches in the Premier League and will look to add another to that tally against a side near the bottom. Rasmus Hojlund has scored once in each of the past five Premier League games and will be looking to make it six against the side that has conceded the third most goals in the league this year. Only once in the unbeaten run has United kept a clean sheet, so the backline and Onana will be looking to keep out a side that has been scoring freely lately.

Before a loss to Sheffield United, Luton Town had been the hottest attacking team in the league. They put four past both Brighton and Newcastle in a win and a draw. Those two matches, plus a draw with Burnley, pulled Luton out of the relegation zone, and they now sit 17th, one point above the drop. Elijah Adebayo has nine goals in the league this season, and a resurgent Ross Barkley has been leading the midfield. Luton Town may be near the bottom, but the match will not be a walk in the park.

Team News

Manchester United will be without several key players on Sunday. Lisandro Martinez injured his knee recently and will remain out until the end of March. Other players out include Mason Mount, Tyrell Malacia, and Anthony Martial. Luke Shaw was taken off at halftime of the Aston Villa win, and it seems that he is a doubt play a part in Sunday’s game. This will mean that Ten Hag will need to make a change in the left-back spot, with Lindelof being the most likely replacement.

Tom Lockyer remains out after suffering a cardiac arrest earlier this season. Mads Andersen and Marvelous Nakamba are also out. Two former Reds will be looking to cause harm to their former squad this weekend. Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi will both look to be involved for Luton and will be itching to put in a quality performance.

Predicted United Lineup

GK: Andre Onana
Defenders: Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Diogo Dalot
Midfielders: Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes
Attackers: Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford

Match Prediction

Manchester United will pick up an important win on the road in a complete performance. I predict a 3-0 win for United, with Hojlund scoring twice and Bruno Fernandes finding his way back on the scoresheet.

One Bold Prediction

It seems bold at this point, but United will keep a clean sheet on the road. The last time this happened was the trip to Anfield in mid-December, which ended 0-0.

Drop your predicted lineup and result in the comments!