Manchester United are destined to miss Champions League no matter how many goals Cristiano Ronaldo scores down the stretch. But on the bright side, they do have a shot at a Europa League being five points up on West Ham, although the Hammers do have a game in hand on Manchester United. Brighton are in a bit of no-man’s land as they likely won’t make Europe but also won’t get relegated, so Graham Potter can try out different options while testing players’ mentalities.
The prime target will be stopping Ronaldo who has scored in four straight games that he has been featured. While there was doubt in whether Erik ten Hag would want Ronaldo in his Manchester United squad, six goals scored in four games while other members of the team struggle is hard to ignore.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Saturday, May 7 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: The AMEX Community Stadium — Falmer, East Sussex
TV: NBC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: Brighton +170; Draw +235; Manchester United +160 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester United
Storylines
Brighton: Enock Mwepu will mess the match with a groin injury, and it’s likely that this will sideline him for the rest of the season. But other than that, Potter has a full squad at his selection minus long term absentees Jakub Moder and Jeremy Sarmiento.
Manchester United: Ralf Rangnick has quite a list of absentees for this one. Jadon Sancho will miss the match due to illness. Marcus Rashford has bronchitis and will also be unavailable. Harry Maguire could be available, but it remains to be seen whether he will start after United finally kept a clean sheet against Brentford. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly will also return to the squad but their best hope is a place on the bench.
Prediction
Brighton doesn’t have anyone who can stop a determined Ronaldo as United rolls. Pick: Brighton 1, Manchester United 3