Abhranil Roy
Manchester United vs Watford: 3 Key Player Battles
Manchester United have scored 11 goals in their last 3 games, beating Shrewsbury Town 3-0 in the sixth round of the FA Cup, then FC Midtjylland 5-1 in the second leg of a crunch Europa League tie and finally, we beat Arsenal 3-2 last Sunday at Old Trafford. The Stretford End has finally found its voice back, and is currently chanting the name of Marcus Rashford, United’s 18-year-old super striker who has scored 4 goals in his last 2 appearances for the club. Under such positive circumstances, we take on Watford at Old Trafford this weekend, The two sides could not be more different, as Manchester United look to control the possession and break down the opposition, while Watford, as you’d expect from a promoted side, plays long balls of the top in the hopes of a chance on goal. and here we list the 3 key battles that could decide the outcome of this fixture, which, if we win, will give our push for the fourth spot a more realistic chance:
1. Juan Mata v Nathan Ake
The Spaniard, after a somewhat inconsistent start to the season, has now finally returned to form. He was excellent in the last 2 games, as he distributed his passes all over the field, exchanged positions with Lingard and Depay and looked threatening every time he was on the ball. Against Ake, he will have to face a typical Premier League holding midfielder: strong, no-nonsense but without a lot of skill or technique. If Ander Herrera can continue supporting Juan the way he has been doing so far from central midfield, one expects the former Chelsea midfielder to outwit his marker and win this one, given his quality.
