Manchester United are hoping to end their torrid run of form at home to bottom club Norwich City. Joe Rindl has a best bet and the preview.
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt A penalty in the match at 19/10 (Sporting Index)
So what next for Manchester United?
Ralf Rangnick’s side were, in a word, poor against struggling Everton side, falling to a 1-0 defeat which all but ended their top four ambitions.
United are seventh in the Premier League table, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils will have to win the majority of their final seven league games of the season to stand a chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Infogol predicts they will finish sixth. Well short.
The Old Trafford club are winless in their past three and have tasted victory just once in their last five games. With rumours of Erik ten Hag’s pending arrival, it seems United’s players have little motivation to play for their current caretaker boss.
The most damning statistic surrounding United’s loss to Everton last time out was not the scoreline, it was the fact the lowly Toffees outran their opponents by more than 10km.
If ever there was a game United needed, it would be a home fixture against the team bottom of the league.
Enter Norwich City, who come to Old Trafford seven points off Premier League safety having played one game more than 17th-placed Everton.
The Canaries gave themselves a shade of hope last time out, beating relegation rivals Burnley 2-0, their first win since February 5th.
Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
Man Utd 21/4 | Draw 2/9 | Norwich 11/1
Dean Smith’s side have collected four points from their past two games, although across those two matches they have managed an expected goals (xG) total of 2.27 compared to their opponents’ 4.58.
Before their win over Burnley and 0-0 draw with Brighton, Norwich were on a seven-match losing run.
Whatever way you look at it, on paper, Manchester United should have no trouble brushing aside the team that has conceded 2.03 goals per game this season in front of their home fans at Old Trafford.
United to win presents no value at odds of 1/4, while there is also little to be gained in the goalscorer markets.
One stat that has caught my eye though is Norwich topping the penalties conceded table with 11 spot-kicks conceded across 31 games.
Manchester United may have led Europe’s top five leagues for pens received last season, but this campaign, only three have been won by the Red Devils, against Aston Villa, Arsenal and Norwich in the reverse fixture.
The visitors have also received three penalties, but it’s who Norwich are conceding their 11 penalties to that has got me excited.
The Canaries have committed a foul in the penalty area against Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United this season. They get nervous in their own box against the traditional 'big six'.
Saturday's referee Stuart Atwell also has a high penalty per game ratio of 0.31. He pointed to the spot in his most recent outing, Liverpool's 2-0 win over Watford.
With little value elsewhere, A PENALTY IN THE MATCH at 19/10 with Sporting Index is a solid bet in a fixture.
Man Utd v Norwich best bets and score prediction
- 1pt A penalty in the match at 19/10 (Sporting Index)
Score prediction: Man Utd 2-0 Norwich (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Odds correct at 1630 BST (13/04/21)
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