Manchester United could climb into the top four of the Premier League table for a few hours at least when they welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford in Saturday's early Premier League kickoff.
Fresh from lifting the EFL Cup at Wembley last weekend, the Red Devils could leapfrog both Liverpool and Arsenal in the standings with a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.
Man Utd
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Things may have got off to a slower start than many expected for Manchester United under Jose Mourinho, but victory on Saturday would leave the club in the enviable position of being in the top four - if only for a few hours - and with two trophies already under their belts this season.
Last Sunday saw United add the EFL Cup to their Community Shield success, and it was a victory that bore plenty of hallmarks of the club's glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson - namely scoring late and winning when they were not at their best.
Not for the first time this season it was Zlatan Ibrahimovic who was the hero, scoring the opener and the late winner to take his tally for the season to 26 across all competitions, including nine already in 2017 - just one fewer than the entire Bournemouth squad have managed between them.
Speculation continues to swirl over whether the 35-year-old will extend his stay at Old Trafford beyond the end of the current campaign, but United will surely do all they can to keep him at the club for at least another year.
This match will be United's first in the Premier League for three weeks, during which time progress has been made in the FA Cup and Europa League in addition to their EFL Cup glory, and the Red Devils will go into it on the back of a 16-game unbeaten streak in the top flight - the longest run seen in the Premier League all season.
Leaders Chelsea were the last team to beat United in the league back in October and, after a slight blip with three consecutive draws towards the start of the year, United have won their last two league games and have not conceded in three.
In all competitions United have won six games on the bounce and have only lost one of their last 26 outings, with the solitary defeat against Hull City in the EFL Cup semi-final effectively a meaningless one too as they still progressed to the final on aggregate.
Another victory this weekend would see them become the first club to register 600 Premier League wins, although they actually have a better record away from home than they do at Old Trafford this season, thanks largely to a league-high six draws in front of their own fans.
Despite that, Mourinho's side are unbeaten in their last 20 home outings across all competitions stretching back to September, while they have kept clean sheets in their last four - their best record since December 2015.
Mourinho will want an improvement at the other end of the field, though, with United having scored the fewest goals in the top seven and only 19 in front of their own fans all season, putting them behind the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Bournemouth in the home scoring charts.
Recent form: WDDDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW
Bournemouth
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While United very much seem to be on an upward trajectory, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe will be frantically searching for a way to stop his side's slide towards a relegation battle.
It is a battle which Howe believes his side are already involved in, but with a four-point gap to the bottom three there is still just enough of a cushion to steer themselves back clear of danger if they can turn their form around quickly.
The form of some of the teams below them in the table means that the turnaround does need to happen sooner rather than later, though, with Leicester City, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Hull City all having shown signs of improvement in recent weeks.
It wasn't too long ago that the Cherries sat in the top half of the table and looked well on course for the highest finish in the club's history, but 2017 has not been kind for them so far.
Bournemouth began the year by blowing a three-goal lead against Arsenal in the final 20 minutes - the first of an eight-match winless streak in all competitions which includes a league-low two points in the top flight since the turn of the year.
Howe's side will travel to Old Trafford on the back of a four-match losing streak - already their worst run since November 2015 - and they have not suffered five consecutive league defeats since March 2013, when they were in League One.
Of course, that does also serve as a reminder that Bournemouth are still new on the top-flight scene, but so successfully have they adapted to it that their current form comes as something of a surprise.
The first priority for Howe will be to stop the flow of goals going in against his side, with the Cherries having conceded 20 Premier League goals already this year - seven more than any other club in the division.
Old Trafford may not be the best place to do that, though, with Bournemouth having shipped a league-high 30 goals on the road this season on their way to nine defeats from 13 games. In all competitions the Cherries have lost seven of their last eight away games and this weekend risk losing five on the bounce for the first time since January 2008.
Recent form: LDLLLL
Team News
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United winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan was forced to miss the EFL Cup final with a hamstring injury and remains a doubt for this weekend's match, although a late fitness test could see him included in the squad.
Jesse Lingard was brought back into the starting XI at Wembley and rewarded Mourinho's faith in him with a goal, which could be enough for him to keep his place this weekend.
Michael Carrick, who will be granted a testimonial for the club this summer, has fully recovered from a calf injury, while captain Wayne Rooney will be hopeful of making his first appearance for more than a month.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have no new injury concerns but remain without long-term absentees Callum Wilson, Adam Federici and Jordon Ibe.
The match is expected to come too soon for skipper Simon Francis, who is still struggling with a thigh injury, which could lead to Howe naming an unchanged side.
Man Utd possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo; Herrera, Carrick, Mata, Pogba, Lingard; Ibrahimovic
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Boruc; Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels; Arter, Surman, Fraser, Wilshere, Pugh; King
Head To Head
These two sides have met just 11 times before, and unsurprisingly United dominate the history having won seven and lost just two of those past clashes.
Indeed, the Red Devils boast a perfect 100% record against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, winning all five of their previous home games against the Cherries and scoring 15 times in the process, conceding just once.
The last two meetings have finished 3-1 to United, including the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium on the opening weekend when Juan Mata, Rooney and Ibrahimovic were all on the scoresheet.
We say: Man Utd 2-0 Bournemouth
The form book only points in one direction for this match, and it is hard to back against it. United are flying at the moment and will only be buoyed by their EFL Cup triumph, whereas Bournemouth will be wondering where the next victory will come from. Old Trafford would be a special place to get it, but we can't see them ending their dreadful run of form this weekend.
No Data Analysis info
