Bournemouth vs Man United Premier League preview, team news and prediction

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Bournemouth are set to host Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium on Friday night to kick-off this weekend's Premier League action. The Cherries will be aiming to extend their impressive 10-game unbeaten streak in the league, while the Red Devils continue their pursuit of a Champions League spot.

Bournemouth's 2025-26 Premier League season can be divided into three clear phases: a superb start, a challenging winter slump, and their current resurgence. The Cherries began the campaign in fine form, putting together a string of outstanding performances that yielded five wins, three draws, and only one defeat, raising hopes of a surprise push for European qualification.

However, their momentum stalled during the winter, as Bournemouth endured an 11-game winless run from November through early 2026. That difficult spell finally ended with a 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which sparked their current unbeaten run.

Since then, Bournemouth have gone 10 league matches without defeat, recording four wins and six draws to climb to 10th place in the table. With just eight games remaining, the Cherries still have an outside shot at European football, particularly as eighth place could potentially secure qualification at the end of the season.

A win on Friday would see Bournemouth leapfrog Everton into eighth—at least temporarily—though they'll need to break their sequence of four consecutive draws to claim all three points. Turning draws into victories has been a recurring issue for Andoni Iraola’s side, as no team in the league has registered more than Bournemouth’s 14 draws this season.

The Cherries can take heart from their recent record against Manchester United, having won two and drawn three of their last five meetings, including a thrilling 4-4 draw earlier in the campaign.

Manchester United, meanwhile, seem to have found their rhythm after a turbulent period under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, which included those disappointing results against Bournemouth. Since Michael Carrick took over as interim manager in mid-January, no team has collected more points than United’s 22.

Under Carrick’s guidance, United have won seven, drawn one, and lost just one of their nine matches, with notable victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. This resurgence has propelled the Red Devils to third in the table on 54 points, six clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the four-way race for three Champions League places.

United will look to further cement their position by securing another three points on Friday, which would move them six points ahead of fourth-placed Aston Villa before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Despite their strong form, United have faced challenges away from home, earning just 21 points from 15 away games compared to 33 from the same number of home matches. Carrick’s only defeat as manager also came on the road—a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United—so he’ll be eager to build on last weekend’s win with another positive result away from home on Friday.

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Bournemouth are likely to be without Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook, Tyler Adams, and Julio Soler due to injuries. David Brooks, who leads the team with seven big chances created this season, could return to the starting lineup for the first time since late February’s draw with Sunderland. Marcus Tavernier may move into a central role, while Rayan and Evanilson are expected to continue up front.

Manchester United remain without Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, and Patrick Dorgu, who are all sidelined until April. Captain Bruno Fernandes, fresh off his 16th assist of the season, is closing in on the Premier League record and will look to add to his tally. He should be supported by Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Amad Diallo in attack, with Benjamin Sesko likely to feature from the bench.

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