Why Sutton is backing Bournemouth at Old Trafford
Bournemouth are in a horrible run of form, but Chris Sutton still believes they can go to Old Trafford and win yet again. The Cherries have an incredible recent record there, having beaten Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in December in each of the past two seasons.
Sutton compares it to his playing days, when there were certain teams or stadiums where he just felt a good result was coming, no matter what the form guide said. For him, Old Trafford seems to have become that kind of place for Andoni Iraola and his Bournemouth side.
Given the time of year, and Bournemouth’s recent history in this fixture, Sutton thinks this could be the perfect moment for them to return to Manchester and pull off another shock. Despite expecting criticism from United fans, he is tipping Bournemouth to stop their bad run and edge this one, completing a hat-trick of away wins over United.
Amorim has steadied United – but doubts remain
Sutton does give Ruben Amorim credit for improving Manchester United’s situation since that last 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth in December 2024. That loss was United’s third in four games and left them 13th in the Premier League at Christmas. At that point, Sutton says, it felt like “permanent pantomime season” at Old Trafford, with constant noise about the manager’s future.
Now, although United are still far from convincing, the atmosphere has changed. They are looking up the table, thinking about the top four rather than worrying about being stuck in mid-table. The calls for Amorim to be sacked after every bad result have eased, and Sutton believes the Portuguese coach deserves recognition for stabilising the club, even if there is still a lot to fix.
Scoreline: another upset on the cards
Despite acknowledging United’s improvement under Amorim, Sutton thinks this particular match-up still suits Bournemouth. Their confidence at Old Trafford, their recent record there and United’s ongoing inconsistency all feed into his view.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2 in favour of Bournemouth.
