The final note on Premier League football this weekend will come in the form of Manchester United’s visit to Swansea City, with kickoff at 4pm on Sunday.
The 13-time champions fancy their chances against any team in the division but they’ll be particularly wary of the Welsh outfit, who beat them both home and away last term to produce an aggregate scoreline of 4-2.
That includes a victory over the Red Devils during Louis van Gaal’s first ever competitive fixture as Old Trafford boss on the opening day of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
Both teams have recruited well over the summer and are two of just five sides yet to be defeated in the Premier League this term, so a very close encounter is expected at the Liberty Stadium.
Therefore, as often in the Premier League, it could be a match decided by who dominates the individual battles. Football Fancast have picked out FIVE that we believe could have an instrumental effect on the outcome.
BAFETIBI GOMIS VS DALEY BLIND
Daley Blind has certainly silenced doubts over his ability to play at centre-half in recent weeks. In fact, the supremely versatile Dutchman has been arguably Manchester United’s best defender, proving the positional intelligence, technical quality and composure centre-back partner Chris Smalling notoriously lacks.
Measuring at just 5 foot 11, however, and accused of lacking muscle even during his days in the particularly lightweight Eredivisie, it seems inevitable the 25 year-old will eventually be caught out by one of the many big ‘n’ burly old-fashioned No.9s that are almost synonymous with Premier League football.
And unfortunately for Blind, he not only faces a powerful and aerially imposing striker of the aforementioned variety in Swansea City’s Bafetimbi Gomis but also arguably the most in-form front-man in the Premier League right now, netting three goals in three appearances so far this term – meaning three of those dreadful ‘prowling tiger’ celebrations.
There are perhaps other strikers in the league that would represent a more daunting challenge to the Netherlands international. Gomis measures in at a by no means monolithic 6 foot 1 and has only won 1.3 aerial duels per match this season.
But Gomis has the power and leap to punish Blind if he manages to isolate the midfielder-come-defender, especially at the back post. So it’s essential the overtly physical Smalling protects his considerably wirier partner as much as possible.
Wayne Rooney vs Ashley Williams and Federico Fernandez
Wayne Rooney broke his season duck on Wednesday night with a Champions League hat-trick against FC Brugge. That will have him full of confidence in time for Swansea City this Sunday but doubts remain over the Manchester United skipper’s ability to be prolific at centre-forward in the Premier League.
After spending the majority of the last three seasons midfield, there are still huge question marks over whether the England international can simply return to being an out-and-out striker, switching his predatory instincts off and on at will.
But in my opinion, what Rooney has struggled with most in the Premier League is the challenge of playing up against two centre-halves, whilst also facing encirclement from a holding player at the base of midfield. Swansea set up in a similar kind of way, with Jack Cork often screening in front of the back four.
Of course, it can’t all be down to Wazza Roo; he needs the likes of Memphis Depay, Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata to make runs beyond him, drawing at least one centre-back away. But at the same time, for a player of the 29 year-old’s calibre you’d expect at least a few splatters of majestic individual brilliance throughout the match to turn his markers.
If there’s one positive the Premier League-barren forward can take into the Liberty Stadium clash, it’s that Swansea have conceded a goal per game on average this term and only kept one clean sheet – so their defence isn’t exactly watertight at the minute.
JONJO SHELVEY VS MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN
This declaration may come as a surprise to some but I would argue Jonjo Shelvey has not only been Swansea’s best performer this season but also one of the best in the Premier League.
Indeed, we’ve always known about the former Charlton Athletic youngster’s natural ability and it appears to be finally manifesting into displays of superlative creativity; Shelvey has averaged the most created chances of any player in the divison this season, a whopping 4.3 per match, grabbed an assist against Newcastle and launched the pass that lead to Thibaut Courtois’ sending off on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
His pass completion of 87% and average of 2.7 accurate crosses per match certainly isn’t too shabby either – especially with the aforementioned Gomis and winger Andre Ayew offering such threat in the air.
One therefore assumes the task of stopping Shelvey run creative riot at the heart of midfield will predominantly fall to Morgan Schneiderlin. Whilst the England international has been one of the Premier League’s best going forward, the £25million signing has maintained his reputation as one of the English top flight’s most formidable enforcers, averaging an imperious 4 tackles and 3.3 interceptions per match this term.
Schneiderlin needs to put as much pressure as possible on the 23 year-old when the ball’s at his feet – but must also be aware that resident No.10 Gylfi Sigurdsson is more than capable of exploiting any space he leaves behind.
MEMPHIS DEPAY VS KYLE NAUGHTON
Memphis Depay’s Manchester United career thus far has been a little underwhelming, in no small part due to audacious claims of the youthful Dutchman being the next Cristiano Ronaldo. Indeed, he’s yet to get off the mark in the Premier League and his best performance thus far has come against European minnows FC Brugge.
Yet, you get the feeling a match-winning performance from the 21 year-old could be just around the corner; his natural talent is indisputable – firing PSV to the Eredivise title last term with 22 goals – and he certainly possesses the power and pace to be a force in the Premier League.
Resultantly, the utmost vigilance is required from right-back Kyle Naughton, assuming Depay will be selected in his habitual left winger role. The 26 year-old has been in decent form so far this term, averaging 3.3 tackles per match, but he’s already been dribbled past on five occasions in just three games – and that’s what Depay will look to exploit most.
At the same time, however, Depay will have to do his fair share of tracking back. Andre Ayew is enough to occupy Luke Shaw alone, so the Netherlands prodigy must ensure he doesn’t leave his left-back in a two-on-one situation involving Naughton as well.
The former Spurs man has made huge contributions in attack already this season, claiming an assist against Sunderland last weekend whilst averaging 2.3 created chances, 1.3 successful dribbles and 1 accurate cross per match.
Finding the right balance between attack and defence will be integral to both players not leaving the rest of their team exposed.
MICHAEL CARRICK vs GYLFI SIGURDSSON
Manchester United may have spent the best part of £250million since Louis van Gaal took the Old Trafford helm two summers ago but playmaking veteran Michael Carrick is still the Red Devils’ most important player.
With the England international in the starting Xi, United’s win-rate since the start of last term is a whopping 75% – 15 wins from 20 appearances. Without him, it drops to just 33%, equating to seven wins, seven draws and seven defeats from 21 games.
It’s largely due to arguably the 34 year-old’s greatest attribute as a footballer; his eternal willingness to pass the ball forward and make something happen – which has made all the difference to a United side who have a tendency to fall into the trap of sideways ball retention under LVG.
Resultantly, attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson will have a duel role against United on Sunday, not only providing the link between the strike-force and midfield but also limiting Carrick’s ability to make incisive passes forward as much as possible.
That being said, we all know how technically supreme the Iceland international is too. He’s an intelligent footballer with fantastic quality and can be absolutely devastating from dead ball situations – the predominant source of his seven goals and ten assists last term.
That should be of particular concern to Manchester United, who have averaged the eighth-most fouls per match of any Premier League side this season – a worrying 12.3.