Manchester United travel to Carrow Road Saturday looking to keep themselves well positioned in the race for the top four under interim manager Ralf Rangnick. The side is unbeaten since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, leaving the Red Devils three points off West Ham in fourth with a December fixture list that ought to present them with opportunities to build momentum.
However, Norwich may not be the pushovers they looked to be early in the season. The Canaries went unbeaten through the month of November and have taken five points from a possible 12 since Dean Smith’s appointment and were good value for more than they got in a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham last time out. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Dec. 11 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Carrow Road — Norwich, United Kingdom
TV: NBC | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Odds: Norwich City +600; Draw +340; Manchester United -225 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Norwich City vs. Manchester United
Storylines
Norwich City: Though there are plenty of points to compete for between now and January, the transfer window inevitably looms large for a side who find themselves in Norwich’s predicament. They’re three points from safety with by far the league’s worst goal difference. Smith has already been linked with several players who worked under him at Aston Villa, but for now the new manager says he is firmly in assessment mode.
“I spoke to [director of football] Stuart [Webber] when I first came into the club and said let me and Shakey [assistant manager Craig Shakespeare] hit the ground running for three or four weeks and then we’ll sit down and give you our honest opinions of where we see the club at the moment,” Smith said. “We’re still a couple of weeks or so away from sitting down with Stuart and talking about that. But as I said before, I’ve been happy with the application and the quality of the squad so far.”
Manchester United: Having done a wholesale rotation of his team for the final Champions League group stage match, a 1-1 draw against Young Boys, Ralf Rangnick is expected to restore several key starters to his side at Carrow Road, where he will keep a close eye on United’s ability to play out from the back after growing frustrated at the “pressing invitations” his side had sent to their opponents on Wednesday.
A manager that prides himself on the verticality with which his side plays is unlikely to accept much more dawdling on the ball in defense but the presence of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire might assuage any concerns there. Raphael Varane has also returned to training though it seems doubtful he will be rushed into this game.
Prediction
Expect Manchester United to not have things all their own way but for individual quality to propel them to victory. PICK: Norwich 0 Manchester United 1
