Good morning and welcome along to a busy day of Premier League action, with four big games down for decision.
First up, Manchester United host Swansea City at Old Trafford as they continue their push for Champions League qualification.
Victory today would lift Jose Mourinho’s side into the top four for a couple of hours at least with Man City visiting Middlesbrough later this afternoon.
Kick-off is at noon and we’ll have all the build up, including team news, between now and then.
The team news is in. Mourinho makes four changes to his side from Thursday’s Manchester derby with Young, Shaw, Lingard and Rooney coming in for Valencia, Darmian, Fellaini and Mkhitaryan.
And this is how Swansea will line up.
Here are today’s Premier League fixtures.
- Man United v Swansea, 12pm
- Everton v Chelsea, 2.05pm
- Middlesbrough v Man City, 2.05pm
- Tottenham v Arsenal, 4.30pm
Jose Mourinho has been speaking to BT Sport before kick-off.
Let’s take a closer look at the teams for this afternoon’s game.
Marcus Rashford will once again lead the line for Man United, while youngster Scott McTominay has made the bench.
Luke Shaw will also have his chance to shine having been selected by Jose Mourinho in the left-back role, and skipper Wayne Rooney returns in place of the rested Henrikh Mkhitaryan after missing out on selection in Thursday’s Manchester derby.
Juan Mata is back in the matchday squad among the substitutes after recovering from groin surgery, while youngster Axel Tuanzebe is joined on the bench by under-23 team-mate McTominay.
McTominay is a utility midfielder who has played much of his football under Nicky Butt this season either as a No.10 or a fill-in striker.
Man United: De Gea, Bailly, Rooney, Martial, Lingard, Carrick, Blind, Young, Rashford, Herrera, Shaw.
Subs: Mata, Romero, Mkhitaryan, Valencia, Darmian, Tuanzebe, McTominay.
Swansea: Fabianski, Ayew, Ki, Mawson, Britton, Llorente, Sigurdsson, Naughton, Fernandez, Kingsley, Carroll.
Subs: Amat, Fer, Borja Gonzalez, Nordfeldt, Olsson, Montero, Cork.
Which way do you see this one going?
Poll Results:
As the teams emerge from the dressing rooms, let’s take a look at the table with this game set to have ramifications at both ends.
Sunderland were officially relegated yesterday and time is running out for both Middlesbrough and Swansea if they are to save themselves.
Kick off! United get us underway at a sunny Old Trafford.
Swansea looked to have started with a diamond up top with Ayew and Llorente leading the line and Sigurdsson operating just in behind.
Bright and confident start from Swansea, who have enjoyed all the early possession.
Worrying signs for Luke Shaw as he goes down off the ball and looks to be in a bit of discomfort — and it doesn’t look like he’s going to continue.
Awful luck for the left-back as he forlornly trudges off with what looks like a knee injury and Antonio Valencia is on in his place.
Ashley Young switches over to the far side with Valencia filling in on the right.
Swansea continue to ping the ball around the lush Old Trafford surface and United have yet to get going.
Swansea have had 68% possession in the opening 12 minutes and they’re causing a few problems.
Ayew latches onto a ball over the top but his effort is blocked by Bailly, only for the United defender to smash his clearance off Sigurdsson and he was lucky as that could have deflected anywhere.
An incredibly sloppy start from the hosts, who have yet to have a touch. They’re all over the place at the moment.
Chance! Swansea cut United apart so easily and Llorente cuts back inside onto his right foot, and tries to curl it into the top corner past De Gea. His compatriot is equal to the task however and gets a good hand to it.
Rashford collects the ball in midfield and shows his pace to turn defence into attack before drawing a cynical foul from Leon Britton, who goes into the referee’s notebook.
Blind stands over the free-kick but overhits it and that pretty much sums up the first 15 minutes from the home side.
Chance! That’s better from United as Martial clips a delightful ball in towards Lingard, who just doesn’t get enough contact on it to allow Fabianski make the save.
Martial goes in late on Ayew and referee Neil Swarbrick shows the United forward a yellow card.
United are slowly warming to the task with Rooney unable to get over his header from Young’s cross from the left.
Swansea are enjoying plenty of time and space in midfield and are certainly causing Mourinho’s side plenty of problems, with their defence looking particularly vulnerable.
Chance! The closest we’ve come to a goal as Martial drives at the Swansea defence, glides past two white shirts and forces Fabianski into a smart save. The goalkeeper spilled it initially with Lingard hovering around the six yard box but he did well to gather again.
United starting to dominate proceedings now as Carrick and Herrera’s influence grows.
But, at the other end Ayew forces De Gea into a good save with his feet after the striker used his pace to stretch the United defence.
Old Trafford has been very quiet this afternoon and the 76,000 inside have been given very little to shout about so far. United have been off the pace for much of this half and Swansea have been the better side. Six minutes until the break.
Brilliant build up from Swansea as Sigurdsson charges down the left and feeds Carroll with a perfect pass. The midfielder made good ground to get there but delays the shot and allows a red shirt to block his effort.
Decent effort from Lingard but it doesn’t test the Swansea ‘keeper.
Two minutes of added time at the end of the first half as Mourinho makes his way from the dug out to the dressing rooms.
Penalty! Rashford goes through and nicks it past Fabianski, before going down with the referee pointing to the spot.
GOAL! Man United 1-0 Swansea (Rooney)
And Rooney dispatches the penalty past Fabianski right on the stroke of half time.
Replays show very little contact and Swansea can feel hard done by there.
Half time: Man United 1-0 Swansea
United are very fortunate to go into the break in the lead after a very lacklustre first-half performance. Swansea were much the better team and can feel hard done by to be behind but they’re still very much in the game.
We’re back underway at Old Trafford. No changes on either side for the second half.
Dangerous ball in from Sigurdsson causes United a few problems with Llorente and Ki both looking to get on the end of the set-piece. Bailly and Carrick just do enough to put the white shirts off.
Not a lot to report from Old Trafford. Eric Bailly has just gone down holding his ankle and the trainer is on having a look. Another injury to one of his defenders is the last thing Mourinho needs ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg.
Bailly is back on after receiving treatment but he pulls up in the next passage of play and won’t be able to continue. Darmian is preparing to come on.
And Swansea are going to make a change of their own with Ki making way for Leroy Fer.
First chance of the second half as Fabianski brilliantly denies Martial.
Paul Clement making another change as he searches for a way back into this game. Britton is replaced by the lively Jefferson Montero. Swansea have to take a few risks now.
There is literally nothing happening in this game. United are just knocking the ball around, not really up to much and the clock continues to tick down — but you feel if Swansea can get at this makeshift defence they have a chance of leaving here with something.
Montero gets his first chance to run at Valencia and wins a corner on that far side but the winger instantly pulls up and falls to the ground clutching his hamstring.
He’s only been on a couple of minutes but Montero’s afternoon is over and Martin Olsson is on in his place.
At the other end, Fabianski called into action as Valencia drives one goalwards from a tight angle. A sad sight, meanwhile, as Montero is stretchered off and that doesn’t look good for the 27-year-old.
Rooney clatters into Ayew right on the edge of the United box and the referee awards the visitors a free. With Sigurdsson standing over it, this is a great chance for Swansea.
GOAL! Man United 1-1 Swansea (Sigurdsson)
Oh that’s absolutely stunning from Sigurdsson! He curls it up and over the wall and into the corner, leaving De Gea with no chance.
And Mourinho instantly makes a change with Rooney, who committed the foul, replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Old Trafford silenced.
Chance! Time running out for United now as Lingard looks to head the hosts back into the lead but Fabianski is well positioned to stop it at the near post.
Carroll looks to snatch all three point for Swansea but his sweetly-struck effort is always just rising over De Gea’s bar. Just five minutes plus injury time remaining.
Swansea have defended resolutely all afternoon and they’re continuing to shut United out as we enter the final exchanges of a pretty dour affair at Old Trafford. Swansea more than deserve to leave here with something for their efforts.
Such a waste. United win a free in a promising position but Rashford’s delivery is poor and it sails out past Fabianski’s far post.
Six minutes of added time, so there’s plenty of time for a winner at either end.
Chance! Oh what a chance that was for Llorente. What a miss! Sigurdsson swings the ball in and the Spaniard is left completely unmarked but he tries to divert it in with his foot and fails to get any contact on it when he should have gone in with his head.
What a chance that was for Llorente and Swansea to grab all three points. At the other end, Martial wins a corner for United. Three minutes remaining.
And that should be that. Young overruns it and Swansea win the goal kick.
Full time! Man United 1-1 Swansea
United’s chances of finishing inside the top four have been dented this afternoon as Swansea deservedly take a point away from Old Trafford. We’ll have a full report and reaction to come on the site shortly.
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