Manchester United kick off Gameweek 31 of the 2025–26 Premier League season by travelling to Bournemouth for some Friday night action.
The Red Devils suffered their first setback with Michael Carrick at the helm against Newcastle United earlier this month, but refused to let that turn into more when they hosted Aston Villa last weekend.
Carrick’s side dazzled in spurts and eventually coasted to a 3–1 victory, having been pegged back in the second half by a Ross Barkley equalizer. Third-place United now have a three-point buffer over the Villans and can move to within touching distance of Manchester City with a win on Friday.
However, they’re facing off against a Bournemouth team that’s proven to be mightily tough to beat in 2026. Andoni Iraola’s side are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run, but four draws in succession means they haven’t yet made a significant push towards European qualification.
A win here would certainly embolden their chances, with the Cherries currently just four points adrift of seventh-place Brentford.
These two played out one of the games of the season in the reverse fixture before Christmas: a 4–4 draw at Old Trafford that was overseen by Ruben Amorim.
Bournemouth vs. Man Utd Score Prediction
Red Devils Edge Tight Encounter
It was crucial that United immediately bounced back from their Newcastle defeat and the win over Villa leaves them in a commanding position for Champions League football next season.
They’re now looking up, not down. They have a six-point buffer on Chelsea in sixth, and are just four points behind their second-place Manchester rivals. Under Carrick, United have performed with greater consistency than all of their competitors, and should get a top-three Premier League finish.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have enjoyed many of their recent outings with the Red Devils, but rarely have they encountered a United team performing with their current clarity and cohesion. The Cherries can punch above their weight, but an inability to turn draws into wins as of late has seen their season stall.
- Man Utd’s record at Bournemouth: While Andoni Iraola‘s side have produced a couple of statement wins at Old Trafford in recent years, the Spaniard has never overseen a home win against the Red Devils. In fact, Bournemouth have beaten United just twice at the Vitality Stadium in Premier League history, and most recently in 2019.
- Brilliant Bruno Fernandes: Man Utd have the Premier League’s best player in Fernandes, and the Portuguese continued his ascent towards the single-season assist record of 20 by notching two last weekend. He’s now just four adrift. Fernandes is so hard to contain, given the freedom he’s afforded by Michael Carrick, and has notched eight goal contributions in as many games against Bournemouth.
- Profligate Cherries: The hosts head into Friday’s game with the third-worst xG underperformance in the Premier League, according to Understat. They’ve scored just once despite racking up a combined xG of more than 7.0 in their previous four league games.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1–2 Man Utd
Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Bournemouth aren’t dealing with any more injury concerns since their stalemate at Burnley, but the hosts are set to be without four players for Manchester United’s visit.
Justin Kluivert has endured a frustrating campaign after starring last season, and he won’t be back in action until after the upcoming international break. The same goes for Lewis Cook because of a hamstring injury.
Matai Akinmboni is yet to make his Premier League bow since joining from D.C. United in January 2025, with the young American defender currently dealing with a fitness issue. Julio Soler is poised to miss the remainder of the season.
Winter arrival Rayan will be hoping to light up Friday night’s fixture after a quiet few games, having shone at the very start of his Cherries career. He’ll team up with compatriot Evanilson in attack.
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth
United remain relatively healthy on the injury front, but they may be without the services of Noussair Mazraoui this week because of illness.
The Morocco defender has often featured off the bench since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, and Carrick will have to make a decision as to whether to include him in the squad. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw should remain United’s starting fullbacks.
Lisandro Martínez is continuing to recover from a calf injury, but he should be back next month, and Mason Mount will hope to earn some minutes for the first time in almost two months. The Englishman was back in Carrick’s squad last Sunday.
Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu remain sidelined with respective back and hamstring injuries.
What Time Does Bournemouth vs. Man Utd Kick Off?
- Location: Bournemouth, England
- Stadium: Vitality Stadium
- Date: Friday, March 20
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- VAR: Jarred Gillett
How to Watch Bournemouth vs. Man Utd on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League |
| United States | USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, TeleXitos, SiriusXM FC |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
| Mexico | TNT Sports, Max Mexico, TNT Go |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bournemouth vs. Man Utd: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
