SlipsTips shares a player-based selection ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday night.
Manchester United vs Newcastle United (Monday, 20:00)
Manchester United are in the midst of yet another worrying slump ahead of their final home game of 2024 when they take on Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Back-to-back defeats in the Premier League to Bournemouth and Wolves have handed Ruben Amorim a Red Devils reality check, with his side currently languishing down in 14th place.
In contrast, Newcastle have triumphed in each of their last three top-flight tussles, propelling themselves up to fifth-place in the standings in the process.
While Eddie Howe’s side will set out to heap more misery on Man United on Monday night, I’m going to opt for an alternative angle of attack in the player fouls market.
Team news and formations permitting, Matthijs de Ligt merits support to commit at least one foul during this Monday night showdown at 4/5 on Bet 365.
The Dutch defender was an unused substitute against Wolves on Boxing Day but he is expected to come back into the starting XI on Monday night.
As such, de Ligt could find himself stationed on the right hand side of the Red Devils’ back-three, which would almost certainly see him cross paths with Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon at some point during this dust-up.
To say the Magpies winger is somewhat of a foul magnet would be an understatement – he is earning his team an average of 2.35 free-kicks per-game in the Premier League this season.
In fact, Gordon has been brought down once or more in each of the 16 Premier League games that he has started for Newcastle this season so far.
Dig a little deeper, and you will discover that the Toon attacker has been fouled on multiple occasions in a sizeable 11 of his 16 top-flight starts this term to date.
While United defender de Ligt has not been a frequent offender this season, he has fallen foul of the referee in seven of his previous 13 starts in the Premier League.
The Dutchman has also been reprimanded in two of his four appearances in this season’s Europa League, as well as his solitary start in the EFL Cup, so there is plenty of scope for him to overstep the mark here should he find himself operating in the same vicinity as the aforementioned Gordon.
Recommended Bet
- Matthijs de Ligt Over 0.5 Fouls Committed – 4/5 (Bet 365)
Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over five years experience. I’ve written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, I also regularly feature in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow me on X @SlipsTips
