Following two straight defeats in the league away from home, Old Trafford will prove a welcome sight for the Manchester United team. United have now dropped down to fourth in the league, sitting two points behind Arsenal and Man City, and will be keen to overhaul that gap with as strong a finish to the league as possible.
Manchester United will be looking for a big performance from the only member of their squad to make the PFA team of the year, David de Gea. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the Spain international keeper has racked up 86 saves so far this term, at an average of 2.53 saves per goal conceded. He will look to further boost that ratio with another clean sheet in front of his home support.
In the middle of the park, Angel Di Maria will be looking for a strong finish to his debut season in the Premier League. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has racked up a squad best 12 assists so far this campaign, also completing a squad best 27 crosses. He will be looking to add to that figure, and also to the three goals to his name for the season.
He will be joined in the middle of the park by the in-form Juan Mata. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Spanish midfielder has netted his eight goals from just 10 shots on target, converting 80% of those opportunities. He has also completed 734 passes in the opposition half and has four assists to his name, so will be looking to pick the decisive pass between the Burnley back line. He is 21/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
The Baggies will come into this match-up with confidence, knowing that United have hit a sticky patch in form in the league. West Brom picked up a good point at Liverpool last weekend, following on from an impressive 2-0 win away at Crystal Palace, and will be looking for a third impressive result on the spin this weekend at Old Trafford.
The Baggies will be looking to their talented midfielder Craig Gardner to ensure that they get a foothold in the battle in the centre of the park. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that he has won 46 tackles so far this season, 79.3% of his overall attempts. He has also made 189 clearances, 74 interceptions and 31 blocks.
James Morrison will join him in the middle, and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can also demonstrate his value to West Brom. Morrison has won 69 tackles so far this season, 60.5% of his overall efforts, racking up 52 interceptions in the process. He has also completed 604 passes in the opposition area and has two goals to his name, and will hope to make a difference to the Baggies going forward.
Up top, Saido Berahino will be looking for a strong finish to his breakthrough campaign in the Premier League. The EA SPORTS player Performance Index reveals that he has netted his 12 goals this season from a squad best 30 attempts on target, and it is that accuracy on goal that proves vital to him. His direct style saw him score in the 2-2 draw earlier in the season and could have a similar impact should he add to his 25 dribbles completed. He is 7/2 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Manchester United v West Brom possible starting lineups:
Manchester United: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Blind; Herrera, Rooney, Fellaini, Young, Mata; Van Persie
West Brom: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt; Gardner, Fletcher, Mulumbu, Morrison; Berahino, Ideye
Manchester United v West Brom Match Facts:
- Wayne Rooney has scored in each of his last six Barclays Premier League starts against West Brom (seven goals total).
- West Bromwich Albion have won just one of their last 21 league matches against Manchester United (W1 D4 L16).
- Wayne Rooney has scored 15 in his last 16 Premier League games at Old Trafford.
- West Brom have failed to score in 10 of their last 13 league visits to Old Trafford.
- Man Utd have failed to score in their last two Premier League games. They have not failed to score in three consecutive games since August 2007.
- The Baggies have scored 14 goals from headers this season (only West Ham with 15 have more) accounting for a division-high proportion of 44% of their total.
- The Baggies have shipped 11 goals in the opening 15 minutes, the highest number in the Premier League.
- The Baggies have netted more goals from corners than any other team in the top flight this term (12) and only Burnley (12) have conceded more than West Brom (10) via this route.
- West Brom scored with their only two shots on target in the 2-2 draw with Man Utd at the Hawthorns back in October.
Facts compiled from Yahoosport.
Manchester United v West Brom Prediction:
A 2-0 win for the home side.