Saiyed Karim
The final week of the 2022-23 Premier League season is upon us, and the dust has almost settled on yet another season. The year ended in disappointment for Manchester United fans, as their cross town rivals at Manchester City locked up the Premier League title for the third year in a row.
The Red Devils sit third in the Premier League standings with 75 points, and with more than three points of cushion on either side with one match left in the season, they’re going to stay in third. Without a championship to vie for (or relegation to try and avoid), United sits in a sort of holding pattern as they play out the rest of the season, but that doesn’t mean that the games aren’t worth watching.
While they may not have a shot at a Premier League title, a scheduling quirk means that Manchester United fans get to enjoy an action packed final week with a pair of road games in the last four days of the season: Thursday’s 3-0 win over hated rival Chelsea in front of the rival fans in West London and Sunday’s game at 10th place Fulham.
For the best predictions on this and other games, Sports Betting Sites in Ohio will get you covered. Right now, United sits as a heavy favorite, listed at or around -210 in the three-way outcome table to win at Fulham. Odds and promotions can vary dramatically from sportsbook to sportsbook, so be sure to shop around if you think you’ve spotted a winning ticket so that you know you’re locking in the best possible chances of winning big.
Here’s a look at what awaits United in their match against Fulham, as well as an offseason primer.
The Red Devils enter the match having won three in a row: Fulham played to a draw last weekend but won the two matches before that.
Despite United’s massive win over Chelsea, it came at a steep cost. Antony, the 23-year-old Brazilian winger, suffered a first-half injury that saw him stretchered off the pitch, putting his availability in question not just for the season finale at Fulham but also for the FA Cup Final against City once the season ends.
After top three finishes in two of the past three seasons, United is looking to do whatever it can to get over the hump as the offseason begins. One name that’s floated around in recent weeks is Harry Kane, the Tottenham Hotspur superstar who’s due for a new contract at the end of next season.
The Spurs are in a state of flux after parting ways with manager Antonio Conte in a mutual agreement in March, so United could be able to bait Kane away from North London in a transfer deal, especially given the short contract term: they wouldn’t have to break the bank for a one year rental like they might were they acquiring a superstar with a longer contract. United reportedly wants to push a deal through as soon as possible, knowing that their window will only be open so long: they don’t want to wait for Kane to hit the open market before they’re able to snag him.
Fulham, meanwhile, is taking the exact opposite approach as the offseason begins: after being promoted from the EFL Championship division with a league title last season, they’re quite happy with a middle of the pack finish in their first year back with the big boys. As such, they’re standing firm, looking to establish a pattern of success after bouncing between leagues for each of the past five seasons instead of going for the slam dunk move.
Given their opposite paths: United angry and hungry for more, Fulham please with consistency, expect the favorites to take care of business as they wrap up the season.
