'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

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'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

Manchester United's recent run of results will give them the belief they can claim a seventh straight away victory of the season on Filbert Way, says Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN.

2020-12-26T09:14:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

26 Dec, 2020

'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

Manchester United's recent run of results will give them the belief they can claim a seventh straight away victory of the season on Filbert Way, says Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN.

Sam Jones

2020-12-26T09:14:00.000Z

'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

Manchester United's recent run of results will give them the belief they can claim a seventh straight away victory of the season on Filbert Way, says Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN.

Sam Jones

2020-12-26T09:14:00.000Z

'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

Manchester United's recent run of results will give them the belief they can claim a seventh straight away victory of the season on Filbert Way, says Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN.

Sam Jones

2020-12-26T09:14:00.000Z

'United Aiming For Another Away Win'

Manchester United's recent run of results will give them the belief they can claim a seventh straight away victory of the season on Filbert Way, says Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN.

Sam Jones

2020-12-26T09:14:00.000Z

- Leicester City versus Manchester United at King Power Stadium will commence the Boxing Day Premier League fixtures (12:30pm kick-off)- Either side could close the gap to top-of-the-table Liverpool with a win after both triumphed last time out- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer at ESPN, spoke to LCFC TV to preview the clash, which pits second against third- He says the two counter attacking teams could cancel each other out and does not expect United to play the same, free-flowing football

Leicester City welcome United to King Power Stadium for a Boxing Day clash involving the two teams currently occupying second and third place in the Premier League standings (12:30pm kick-off).

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has presided over an upturn in league form of late, with the Manchester club still boasting a game in hand, although United's record on the road has remained strong since the end of last season, as Ogden explains.

"Based on United's away form, it's six straight away wins in the league this season and it's 10 altogether going back to last season," he began. "Ten successful away games is quite a remarkable statistic.

"There was a big win at Leicester in that at the end of last season, which decided the race for the Champions League. So if you count United's away form as a factor then they are favourites.

"But Leicester are flying this season again under Brendan Rodgers. It's another great start to the season so it's really too tough to call and I think this will depend on which team's strikers have the best day. If Jamie Vardy is on form, he's as good as anything United have got."

The final game of 2019/20 saw United come away from King Power Stadium with a 2-0 victory to secure their spot in the UEFA Champions League for 2020/21, at the expense of the Foxes, who qualified for the Europa League.

"If it has any bearing, I think that game will just make Leicester more aware of what United can do on the break," Odgen continued. "That's where United are dangerous, they're so good at soaking up pressure and hitting teams on the counter attack.

"They'll have to be wary of that, but Leicester play a similar way. They invite teams on and it will be interesting to see if the two teams' styles negate each other, whether it will turn out to be quite a drab game because both sides will be too wary of defending too deep.

"It's interesting tactically but I do think that what happened on the last day of last season will be in the minds of Leicester players. Maybe in a positive sense as well, it may inspire them to get revenge. They'll want to avenge that because that was a big, costly defeat.

"We've seen how good Leicester have been in the Europa League this season and I'm sure some of the players will be thinking if they'd only had got that result against United, they could be in the Champions League now looking forward to the round of 16."

United's final fixture before Christmas saw the Red Devils dismantle an attacking Leeds United side, beating Marcelo Bielsa's men 6-2 at Old Trafford last weekend.

Although they were at their ruthless best in that game, Ogden does not expect to see them shape up in the same way when they take on Rodgers' side.

"It would be quite a reckless approach to be that open against Leicester because Leeds play a certain way but I don't think they've got players of the calibre of Leicester," Ogden explained.

"Leeds have got Patrick Bamford up front, who has had a good season and Leicester have got Jamie Vardy, who has had a great season and it would be very difficult for United to play that way.

"But United can play different, they've got enough holding midfielders in Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic and Fred, they can tighten up a little bit. Because United have got such a good record away from home, they won't be playing negatively against Leicester, they'll go for the win.

"It could be one of those games where it's 0-0 and they cancel each other out, or it be 4-4, it really could go either way this game."

Focusing on United's attacking threats, who have netted a combined total of 28 goals already this term, (only Liverpool and Chelsea have scored more), Ogden highlighted the options Solskjær has at his disposal.

However, he believes it is at the other end of the pitch that the game could be won or lost, due to City's own counter attacking abilities and United's record of conceding more goals than any other team in the top half of the table.

The ESPN correspondent added: "Bruno Fernandes is the creator and he's a goalscorer as well, you've got Marcus Rashford, who, as we've seen this season, has added that finishing touch to his game.

"Anthony Martial can be terrible or he can be ruthless, you never know what you're going to get and Mason Greenwood is coming back to form so all of sudden United have got four or five options.

"Paul Pogba as well, if he's on his best form, he can be an attacking option. Even Daniel James at the weekend, scoring against Leeds and showing with his pace, if channelled in the right way, he can be dangerous, so United have got a lot of attacking options.

"It's at the back where there are more questions, I think that's where Leicester will look to hit them because defensively United are still quite unconvincing. In all those wins away from home, they've conceded lots of goals. If Leicester score twice, you'd expect them to win this game."

All times GMT.

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