Manchester United are expected to challenge from the Premier League this year and after just one game, things are going very well. They are top of the Premier League after a 4-0 victory over West Ham and will head to Swansea full of confidence.
Swansea were pretty good last week forcing a 0-0 draw at Southampton, although this one is going to be much tougher. With the continued uncertainty surrounding Gylfi Sigurdsson, there starting line-up is in doubt. Should he leave then he would leave a huge gap in an already wafer thin line-up, and that would put Swansea in a lot of trouble this season.
Swansea Form
Swansea were pretty good last weekend, drawing 0-0 against a Southampton team that are expected to finish in the top half. That was good, but more is needed going forward, especially when they face a tough team like Manchester United. Should Gylfi Sigurdsson leave the club then he will leave a huge hole in their squad, giving them a lot to think about. I am not sure whether Swansea would be able to replace him with just days remaining until the transfer window closes.
At Christmas last season Swansea looked to be in trouble, but they managed to fight their way out of the relegation zone. They haven’t really strengthened their squad over the summer, and with the potential loss of Sigurdsson, it is easy to vision Swansea being in a lot of trouble later in the season.
Manchester United Form
Manchester United are expected to challenge for the Premier League title this season, despite only coming sixth last season. They got themselves off to a perfect start last weekend with a 4-0 win over West Ham and they look like a team that has a lot more to offer.
After a promising pre-season campaign, Jose Mourinho will have been delighted to see his team perform so well in a competitive game. They controlled the game and looked much more of a threat going forward than they did last season, mainly thanks to new summer signing Romelu Lukaku making such a positive impact.
The race for the league title will of course be very hard fought, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Manchester United force the pace. Should they do that they could be very hard to pass later in the year. Jose Mourinho knows what he is doing, he knows what it takes to win a Premier League and he will be hoping to make that experience count this season.
Team News
After a 4-0 victory, it will be surprising if Manchester United make any changes to their starting line-up for this game. That means Romelu Lukaku will get another chance to shine for United, and he has every chance of scoring another goal in this game.
Swansea are going to have to find a way to be creative if they are to stay in the Premier League. Right now they have to do that without Gylfi Sigurdsson, who is on his way out, and Fernando Llorente, who has a broken arm. Without those two, it could be very tough for Swansea to score goals in their first few games, and things like set pieces could be their best chance of a goal.
Top Betting Tips
Swansea look like they could struggle for goals this season, especially in the first few games without Llorente on top of the missing Sigurdsson. I really don’t fancy their chances against anyone without those two, especially not against someone as good as Manchester United. With that in mind, I have to back United to win this one, although I am going to pick a score, because the regular betting markets are offering little value.
I am going to back Manchester United to continue their good start and win this game 3-0, which can be backed at 8/1 with Ladbrokes. That offers good value in a game that I think they will dominate, against a team who will struggle to create any chances.
This looks like being a very long afternoon for Swansea, something which I may find myself saying quite a lot over the coming weeks, I think they are going to struggle. Manchester United could set the early pace in the Premier League, and if they do they have every chance of winning the league this season. Looking at just this game, I strongly fancy them to be in full control and win the game, with a score line of 3-0 looking like a good possibility.