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Manchester United will take on Fulham in the Premier League curtain-raiser this evening in front of an expectant Old Trafford crowd.
The Red Devils have taken on the Cottagers 91 times in their history with United coming out on top on 56 occasions.
They have drawn 20 and only lost 15 times to the West Londoners.
United will be aiming for a better season than last. Despite finishing strongly by winning the FA Cup, they will hope to considerably improve on last year’s eighth-place league finish. Their rivals will also aim to finish higher than last season’s 13th place.
Here are three storylines for fans to look out for during the match.
Can Amad Diallo cement his first choice status?
One of the big storylines of the concluding weeks of last season was the emergence of Amad Diallo, who eventually got something of a chance in Erik ten Hag’s first team after months of injury problems and being overlooked by the Dutch boss.
The skillful Ivorian scored a crucial last-gasp winner against Liverpool to send United to Wembley in March and impressed in the last home game of the season against Newcastle United providing an excellent finish and clever assist on the night.
The 22-year-old has followed this up with a wonderful pre-season where he scored against both Glasgow Rangers and Real Betis, before carrying the torch for United’s attack in the first hour against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Manager Erik ten Hag has already thrown down the gauntlet by claiming this “could be his year” and it will be interesting to see if he maintains his place in the first team tonight.
There is no doubt that he is a fan favourite and he has spoken already about how we would love to spend his career at Old Trafford. This season could prove pivotal in making this a reality.
Which debutant will get a start?
One of the most exciting things about the start of any new season is witnessing new players pull on the famous red shirt for the very first time.
United fans already had a glimpse of Leny Yoro, before he cruelly picked up a long-term injury versus Arsenal in pre-season.
The Red Devils’ new sporting structure have been hard at work off the pitch and have also brought in Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Ten Hag claimed that the Dutch striker Zirkzee was fit to play in the Community Shield but he did not get off the bench, so it is unclear whether he will be risked tonight as he has not had much of a pre-season due to his involvement in Euro 2024.
De Ligt and Mazraoui have also had little preparation this summer and only joined the club officially earlier in the week. As a result, they have only had a couple of sessions with the rest of the team.
In spite of this, Ten Hag confirmed in his pre-match press conference that both are available for action tonight.
The Peoples Person predicts that the Moroccan fullback might get a chance to start due to the injury crisis at left back, as both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are unavailable.
Both Zirkzee and De Ligt may have to make do with an appearance off the bench but it will be very much in Ten Hag’s interest to give them both minutes so they can get up to speed quickly as United’s season kicks off in earnest.
Can United set the tone with possession-based football?
One of Ten Hag’s side’s biggest problems last year was the openness of the midfield and this was evident from day one against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The new owners have suggested that they aim to implement a more dominating and possession-based style of football at the club, which has been on show to an extent this pre-season.
The Community Shield against Manchester City started off in familiar fashion as Pep Guardiola’s team dominated the ball but United grew into the game and held their own from an attacking and possession perspective as they achieved a respectable 44% and certainly had the better of the chances.
United fans of course will want the three points tonight but they will also be keen to see the team look proficient with the ball and aim to control the game in terms of possession and chances.
Most supporters are aware this will require patience and will not be an overnight fix. Nonetheless, just like the game last weekend, fans will hope to see the promising shoots of possession-based football flourish once more.
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