Three talking points ahead of Manchester United vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Manchester United will look to make it back-to-back wins in the new Premier League season on Saturday afternoon when they travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Red Devils edged Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford in their Premier League opener on Friday, thanks to summer signing Joshua Zirkzee’s 87th-minute strike after coming off the bench. It was an overall solid performance much to the delight of Erik ten Hag, although his team will be up for a completely different challenge on the south coast at the weekend.
The 20-time English champions will be raring to pass the Brighton test with flying colours and restore their position at the top of the table. That being said, here are the three talking points for Manchester United ahead of their first away game of the 2024/25 campaign.
1. Will Joshua Zirkzee start at the Amex Stadium?
Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee proved to be the hero for Man United against Fulham, coming off the bench on his debut and scoring the winner late in the game in front of the Stretford End. It was the perfect moment for the Netherlands striker in the famous Red shirt—the stuff of dreams fittingly in the Theatre of Dreams.
Zirkzee became the third Dutchman to score on his Premier League debut for Man United—after Ruud van Nistelrooy—his current assistant coach and Robin van Persie. The 23-year-old is pushing to start on Saturday after his impressive cameo which included some lovely link-up play with his teammates, dynamic movement and of course, the winning goal.
Without a recognised striker, the Red Devils struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. Bruno Fernandes operating as a false 9 and Mason Mount off him worked in terms of pressures applied from the front against Fulham, but if Erik ten Hag’s side are to perform consistently and win points, they need a presence in the box. Zirkzee could be the answer with Rasmus Hojlund sidelined, but it will be intriguing to see whether Ten Hag hands his compatriot a full debut or goes with the same front four at Brighton.
2. Will Ten Hag keep his trust in Harry Maguire?
A glut of injuries was one of the major factors in Man United’s dismal performances last season, with Ten Hag failing to field a consistent XI week in, and week out. Before the start of the 2024/25 campaign, Ten Hag lost summer signing Leny Yoro to injury for up to three months, while Hojlund remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.
In Yoro’s absence, our gaffer decided to go with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez in central defence against Fulham. Both performed well as a pair but it was Maguire who stood out in the game. He passed the ball efficiently, read the game well, was colossal in the air and made a crucial interception to stop a dangerous Fulham counterattack. It was an extremely solid display that should have given the 31-year-old a lot of confidence.
Given how Maguire fared on the opening night of the new season, Ten Hag ideally should stick with the England international as Martinez’s partner even though he will be tempted to bring in the latest acquisition from Bayern Munich, Matthijs de Ligt.
We will get to know what our gaffer has planned at the weekend, but Maguire deserves to keep his place in the side.
3. Alejandro Garnacho pushing for a start
Having returned to training late due to his involvement for Argentina in their Copa America triumph in July, Alejandro Garnacho has only been a substitute for Man United’s two games this season.
The young winger came off the bench to open the scoring against Manchester City in the Community Shield, and he then supplied the assist from the right flank for Zirkzee to score against Fulham after being sent off the bench just after the hour mark.
With his running power, directness and dribbling skills, the Argentinean caused all kinds of problems to the tiring Fulham backline. Garnacho did what was asked by Ten Hag and his coaching staff in the first half, and his energy and pace lifted his teammates who were starting to feel frustrated with the Cottagers’ resistance.
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The 20-year-old would have been kicking himself for not putting the ball in the back of the net in the dying embers of the game last week, although many felt Marcus Rashford’s pass across the box was undercooked.
Nonetheless, Garnacho has done enough across two games to warrant a start against the Seagulls. If Ten Hag does decide to hand him a start, it should be Rashford and not Amad Diallo who must make way for the Argentina international.
