Manchester United fans will be hoping that the new year brings new fortune to their beleaguered side -- they haven’t won a match since November, a span covering seven all-competitions matches, and including a recent three-match losing streak in the league. They’ve fallen out of the Champions League, fallen out of the top four in the Premier League, and now Louis Van Gaal seems to be on the edge of getting sacked.
Manchester United vs. Swansea 2016 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch EPL online
Louis Van Gaal’s job is still very much at risk unless Manchester United beat Swansea.
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Now with so much on the line, they’re getting visited by Swansea City -- a team on the edge of the relegation zone and suffering from their own problems. Out of form players and injuries and just plain bad luck has doomed them for much of the season, and they’ll need to turn things around dramatically against Manchester to get a positive result -- but teams turning things around dramatically against Manchester has almost been business as usual of late.
Key player -- Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Martial has been very good at times this season and very mediocre at others, but in recent games Van Gaal has taken the leash off him a bit -- and that’s lead to positive results. Especially against a back line that’s been as shaky against tricky attackers like Martial this season, his influence in this match will be vital -- be it scoring goals himself or attracting attention that clears the way for Wayne Rooney or Juan Mata or others to score, Martial will be at the heart of everything good that United to.
Key matchup -- Matteo Darmian (Manchester United) vs. Andre Ayew (Swansea City)
Swansea haven’t had much luck with scoring goals, but Ayew has been a steadily reliable attacking threat for them for most of the season. He’s going to be much of the focus of their attack, and that means Darmian will have to be on his guard at all times to protect his side of the pitch from Ayew’s efforts. Crucially, Darmian hasn’t been as good on the left flank this season as he has been on the right -- something that could prove problematic for Manchester in this match.
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Jesse Lingard, Marcos Rojo, Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw
Swansea City injuries and suspensions
Out: Eder Macedo Lopes, Franck Tabanou In doubt: Wayne Routledge, Federico Fernandez
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. local
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
TV: USA Network (U.S.), Sportsnet regional networks (Canada)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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