Norwich v Manchester United: Rangnick to make it two from two in the league

“Norwich have of course improved, and I expect them to put up a decent fight against the drop, but this a bad time for them to face Manchester United, and they did capitulate a bit against Spurs.”

Back Man United -1 @ 2.3211/8

Renewed hope for the Canaries

Norwich’s unbeaten run came to an end at Spurs last weekend, and while that result saw them return to the bottom of the table, their chances of survival are no longer a lost cause.

Dean Smith’s side are only three points from safety, but they need to keep within touching distance until their fixtures begin to ease in the new year.

There will be at least one change to the Canaries XI on Saturday as Brandon Williams is ineligible against his parent club. There will probably be other changes too, with the likes of Ozan Kabak and Joshua Sargent pushing for recalls.

More structure at United

Ralf Rangnick changed his entire team for the 1-1 draw with Young Boys on Wednesday, and while they didn’t win, they didn’t need to, and it gave him the chance to see some of the squad players in action.

In his first game in charge against Palace, United needed a late winner from Fred to seal the three points, but the performance was promising, and the Red Devils are now five unbeaten.

Their style of play will continue to evolve under Rangnick, with the most interesting subject being how he will utilise Cristiano Ronaldo. He played the Portuguese forward in a front two with Marcus Rashford against Palace, and I would expect the same at Carrow Road.

The visitors are the overwhelming 1.4840/85 favourites for this clash, and with Ole Gunnar Solskjær nowhere near the dugout, it’s not a price that I really want to oppose.

We can expect United to be much more solid under the new regime, and while the Watford debacle was only three weeks ago, so much has changed since.

It’s a bit short for a recommended bet though, so I am looking into the Handicap Markets for that. United -1 is available to back at 2.3211/8 on the Betfair Exchange and I think that represents a hint of value.

Norwich have of course improved, and I expect them to put up a decent fight against the drop, but this a bad time for them to face Manchester United, and they did capitulate a bit against Spurs.

For balance, those who think that the hosts could cause an upset, the home win is 7.87/1 and the draw is 5.04/1.

Goals are favoured by the Betfair traders at Carrow Road, with Over 2.5 Goals trading at around the 1.784/5 mark. Under 2.5 is 2.245/4.

Interestingly, since Solskjaer left the club, only one of United’s five matches have ended with three goals or more. In Rangnick’s two games, they have only found the net once per outing.

That being said, I do like Overs here. Norwich have conceded 31 goals so far this term – more than any other club. They let Spurs score three against them last weekend, and they won’t have their first choice defence available on Saturday.

My Bet Builder for this game is a fourfold that comes in at a shade over 10/1. The first three picks are Man United to Win, Over 2.5 Goals and Marcus Rashford to Score. The fourth is Fred to have a Shot on Target.

The Brazilian isn’t afraid to hit one, and with his goal against Palace, confidence will be high.

Key Opta Stat

Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford has been involved in four goals in his two Premier League games against Norwich (3 goals, 1 assist), averaging a goal involvement every 37 minutes against the Canaries in the competition.