Manchester United host Bournemouth for a Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Monday night.
United head into this game on a high, after a 4-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last Monday. Ruben Amorim's side needed that win, following two games without a win -- which included a loss to 10-man Everton at home, and another home draw against West Ham United.
Bournemouth are in poor form -- they haven't won any of their last six Premier League games. But last week was a step forward for Andoni Iraola's side, as they held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Can they go to Old Trafford and ensure that United's poor home run stretches to three games? Here we look at five key talking points ahead of the match.
How to watch Manchester United vs Bournemouth
The game kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Monday, Dec. 15. The game will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK, NBC in the USA, JioHotstar in India, and Stan Sport in Australia.
Give the ball to Bruno Fernandes
With four goals and six assists to his name in the league this season, Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in more goals than any other United player this season. It's not that surprising, given what we know about Fernandes. He is a superb goal-scorer, and in the final third, has the ability to pick any pass to feed the other attacking players. So why is this news now?
Well, United's set-up isn't always conducive to Fernandes being a scorer or a creator in the final third. He starts alongside Casemiro in a midfield two, and that puts pressure on him to execute the defensive side of that role as well, which takes away from the player that Fernandes is.
However, like he showed last week against Wolves, the position sometimes isn't a hindrance for a player of Fernandes' quality. United need to give him the ball more, use other players to progress it from deep, so that in the most important areas of the pitch, their captain can do the damage that he is capable of.
Pressure on Andoni Iraola?
Bournemouth haven't won a game in six. They've only taken two points in that span. They've conceded 13 goals in those six games, and scored five. It is a dire run of form for a side who were in the top three in the league after the opening ten games of the season. They're currently 14th. Does that put pressure on manager Andoni Iraola?
Perhaps not immediately, but Iraola will know that he has to turn Bournemouth's form around rather quickly. That result against Chelsea last weekend perhaps could be a catalyst, as Bournemouth matched higher-profile opponents for both shots and shots on target.
Old Trafford is a place with happy memories for Iraola. He's taken his Bournemouth teams to Old Trafford twice, and beaten United on both those occasions -- and each time by the same 3-0 scoreline. So in a weird way, what has historically been a daunting away trip for any Premier League team is perhaps exactly what Iraola needs to get Bournemouth back on track this season.
It's time for Matheus Cunha to step up for United
United will miss the services of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad for a while after the game against Bournemouth, with both those players scheduled to go to the Africa Cup of Nations, to represent Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively. In their absence, a lot of attacking burden will fall on Matheus Cunha, who hasn't quite set the stage on fire since his move from Wolves to United in the summer.
Cunha's assist against Wolves was his first this season, and only his second direct goal contribution following his goal against Brighton in late October. Those are returns that are not befitting of the kind of talent that Cunha is. When Mbeumo and Amad leave, even more pressure falls on Cunha, either to create or to score.
This game against Bournemouth, where he could start alongside both Mbeumo and Amad might be an opportunity to begin to build some momentum and confidence, as Cunha looks for lift-off in his United career over the festive period.
What's gone wrong for Antoine Semenyo?
Semenyo had at least one goal contribution in six of Bournemouth's first seven Premier League games this season. Since then, he's gone without a goal or an assist. He missed one game -- against West Ham due to illness -- but has gone seven games in which he's played the full 90 minutes without a goal or an assist.
That dip in Semenyo's form has almost coincided directly with Bournemouth's dip in form. Their main man's form has slid, and with it, has the teams. It's not just the goals and assists from Semenyo that have dried up, he's taking fewer shots, barely creating any chances, and quality on the ball has simply deserted him.
He's a player with proven ability in this league, so this phase is just a glaring dip in form that he needs to fight through. Can it be the day for him at Old Trafford?
Can United deal with Bournemouth's intense running in midfield?
Wolves went two-vs-two against United in midfield last Monday night, and got beaten 4-1. Fernandes and Casemiro may have their shortcomings as a midfield pair in Amorim's system, but when they don't have a numerical disadvantage to contend with, they're more likely to get the better of opponents.
They will have that numerical disadvantage against Bournemouth, who do tend to play three in midfield. Iraola's style means that those three will be hard runners, looking to put pressure on United's midfielders and not give them time on the ball.
This is where this game is likely to be decided. If Casemiro and Fernandes get overpowered, then that could leave the United defence vulnerable, while also not giving Amorim's team a base to build attacks from. Forcing turnovers in midfield and going on counter-attacks could well be Bournemouth's best route to goal at Old Trafford. So, who's winning this key battle?