Manchester United vs Rochdale Predictions

Manchester United’s early-season struggles continued at West Ham on Sunday when they limped to a 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium in their latest abject, toothless display.

Shorn of the creative talents of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, United looked completely devoid of ideas in the final third against the Hammers, and in the end West Ham didn’t need to play particularly well themselves to grab the points.

Ordinarily, a Carabao Cup round three home tie against Rochdale would represent an opportunity for United to take out some frustrations and build confidence, though their chances of racking up a big score against the League One strugglers feels slim.

With Pogba and Martial not quite fit enough to worth risking and Marcus Rashford set for a period on the sidelines, United’s attacking options look all but exhausted.

Even with a full complement of players in tow, United have lacked conviction in the final third this term, and since their opening day 4-0 rout of Chelsea, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have hit the net just five times in six matches.

Rochdale make the short hop to Manchester on the back of three defeats in four, and though The Dale conceded eleven times in that quartet of poor results, they shouldn’t fear the ignominy of an Old Trafford evisceration this week.

United’s attack on Wednesday is almost certain to be made up almost exclusively of youth team players, with Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood set for starting berths.

The last time that trio featured in the same game, United struggled badly to created chances against a poor Astana outfit in the Europa League, though a late goal from Greenwood eventually allowed them to force a win.

We expect a similarly lacklustre attacking display from a United team bereft of confidence and quality this week, and with that considered we think they are priced brilliantly in the under 2.5 team goals market for Wednesday’s game.

United plundered just one goal or less in five of their last six matches, while both of their most recent two victories were secured by slender 1-0 margins.

Our correct score prediction forecasts another evening of frustration in front of goal for Solskjaer’s misfiring charges, though we’re tipping United to just about eke out another 1-0 win.