United are back to the top of the form table with a 5 1 0 record and incredible 18:2 goal ratio over their last six, and now breathing down City’s neck on equal points and only 5 GD behind. Perhaps they needed the slap City gave them in October, since then, they have only dropped one point, at home to Newcastle. In their last five league matches United have scored 17 goals and conceded one, in stark contrast to their pre and post City blues where they went 7 successive league games scoring a solitary goal in each game.
United have a squad deep enough to cope with their growing injury problems. Their weakest area is their defence, and now Johnny Evans has been added to the list, but if they can score 4 or 5 a game they can afford to concede one or two, plus the versatile Phil Jones will be back sooner than expected.
Steve Kean has been under enormous pressure at Ewood, and his tenure will have been extended by taking a point from Anfield on Boxing Day. Not sure whether that will help him or not in the long run.
Blackburn end the year, bottom of the Premier League table, still looking for their first away win of the season against a United side who are in top form, and back to scoring 5 goals a game.
Head to head, Blackburn have not beaten United in the league in their last ten (7W 3D), but they did have victories home and away over United in the 2005/06 season.
The odds on a Blackburn win are enormous, particularly from Victor Chandler. I don’t remember seeing odds of 28/1 on HDA for a league match, other bookmakers are around 20/1. United need to keep the pressure on City who have a potential banana skin at Sunderland, and will go top for more than 24 hours, if they win, or draw, regardless of the outcome of the Sunderland v City match.
I don’t see anything but a home win here, but not the likes of the last two matches against Wigan and Fulham where United dominated and buried 5 goals without reply, both opponents rolling over far too easily. Blackburn have to and will scrap.
Weekend Football prediction – Man United Home win, correct score 3-1
Best odds for the home win, are currently 1.15 with StanJames.com and for the correct score of 3-1 the best odds are 12.00 with Victor Chandler
Laith Amiry, weekendfootball
