TL:DR – Gary Neville and Ian Wright clash over Man Utd vs Fulham forecast | Football
- Gary Neville predicts Manchester United will beat Fulham 3-1, while Ian Wright favours Fulham for a 2-1 win (reference).
- Under interim coach Michael Carrick, United has won both matches since his appointment, including a 3-2 victory over Arsenal (reference).
- Fulham sits seventh in the Premier League, only four points behind United, and has lost just one of their last eight matches (reference).
- Carrick acknowledges Fulham as a formidable opponent and is wary of complacency (reference).
- United’s Joshua Zirkzee returns, but Patrick Dorgu faces an extended absence due to a hamstring injury (reference).
Gary Neville and Ian Wright disagree over Man Utd vs Fulham prediction | Football
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville (Picture: Getty)
Gary Neville and Ian Wright made noticeably different predictions for Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Fulham on Sunday.
United are looking to continue their perfect record since Michael Carrick’s arrival as interim head coach.
The Red Devils began life under Carrick with a 2-0 win over local rivals Manchester City, before following that up with a superb 3-2 victory over league leaders Arsenal.
That result marked Arsenal’s first defeat at home in all competitions this season, while also helping United leapfrog Liverpool and move into the top four.
Keen to continue their momentum, United now return to Old Trafford, where they welcome the visit of Fulham, who themselves have also been on an impressive run of form as of late.
Marco Silva’s side sit seventh in the table and only four points off United, having lost just one of their last eight league matches.
Harry Wilson’s late free-kick saw Fulham record a 2-1 win over Brighton last time out, but Neville believes his former side will have enough to get past the west London outfit this weekend.
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Matheus Cunha’s late winner saw United beat Arsenal last weekend (Picture: Getty)
Giving his prediction on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville said: ‘3-1 [win for United].
‘This is a different type of test on Sunday, which is interesting, but I think they’ll come through it.’
Roy Keane was also confident that United would emerge victorious, joking to Neville: ‘They are all tests, you’re all overthinking it.
‘I think United will keep it up. 2-1 [win for United].’
Michael Carrick’s side are looking to make it three wins in a row (Picture: Getty)
Not everyone was keen to back Carrick’s men, though, with former Arsenal striker Wright confident that Fulham can pull off a shock away win.
‘I fancy Fulham, I would have gone 2-1 Fulham,’ Wright said.
Speaking before Sunday’s clash, Carrick insisted he was expecting a ‘really tough challenge’ from Fulham.
‘I think Fulham, Marco has got into a really good team,’ he said. ‘So I think this one, all of a sudden, it’s a different game as Fulham.
‘Just because we’re at home, taking anything for granted is bang out of order, really. So it might be a case. It’s the same flow of the game as what we’ve had the last two weeks. No shame in that.
‘We’ll deal with the game, what’s in front of us, and do whatever it takes for us to be able to come out on top.’
United are able to welcome Joshua Zirkzee back into contention, but were dealt a major blow after Patrick Dorgu was ruled out for an extended period with a hamstring injury.
‘We’re still working through how long that’s going to be. So we’ll have to see,’ Carrick confirmed.
‘He’s had such a big couple of weeks, Pat. So we weren’t sure whether it was a little bit of a cramp or was it something a little bit more serious.
‘At the moment, it looks a little bit more on the serious note. So it’ll be a few weeks for that, how many weeks we’ll have to wait and see.
‘So that’s disappointing for all of us, really, and for Pat. He’s in such a good place, but unfortunately, it is football and it’s something we’ve got to work through and get him back as soon as we can.’