Manchester United will travel to the Reebok Stadium Saturday to play Bolton Wanderers and will be gunning for their fourth win of the tournament in as many games to go atop of the points table.
Manchester United will be coming off an 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal before the two-week break could have stymied their momentum. On the other hand, Bolton had begun the season rather well when they beat Queens Park Rangers 4-0 in the opening encounter but losses to Liverpool (1-3) and Manchester City (2-3) has left them with lot to be desired – especially so far as their defences are concerned.
The two defeats came in around the same time when the teams could change their side around in the transfers for the last time this year, and manager Owen Coyle wasted no time by signing up for Liverpool striker David N’Gog and Chelsea’s Gael Kakuta.
Not that it will make things any easier for the attack, which has usually failed to penetrate the stronger defences in the competition. Kakuta and N’Gog will add to their chances but to overcome the defending champions would need them to perform some sort of a miracle. That against a side which has won all but one of the last eight matches between the two and one which has pumped in goals by the gazillion this season.
Wayne Rooney had been tipped at the start of the season to score the most goals in the EPL this tournament and his endeavour to do so has started off in the right direction – he got a hat-trick against Arsenal and there will be no stopping him if the Trotters fail to up their defensive ante.
With Javier Hernandez back from his injury, Manchester United should win this and win it on a canter, what with an offer of 1.44 to trounce the Wanderers.
While predicting the correct score would be difficult for a game which has one side which has been pumping in the goals with disdain and another which has conceded six goals in the last two matches that they have played. Yet, the bookies are offering 8 for 1-0 win for the visitors, to 21 if the defending champions can put four past the Bolton Wanderers.
The bottomline is that it will be difficult to see any other result but a Manchester United win this game.