Manchester United Fan View: Three key battles ahead of West Brom clash

Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United comfortably sit in second-place and a fruitless West Brom side are at the bottom of the league. They go head-to-head on Sunday evening at Old Trafford.

While there is little to play for, the match should be entertaining. The Red Devils look to secure a top-two finish, whilst caretaker manager Darren Moore will be aiming to impress the West Brom board from now until the end of the season.

Here are the three main key battles to keep an eye on…

Romelu Lukaku vs Ahmed Hegazi

After showing in the last month or so that he can be effective for the side even when he is not on the scoresheet, Romelu Lukaku is certainly proving to be a candidate for the club’s Player of the Season award, alongside David De Gea and Nemanja Matic. The former Everton and Chelsea forward is on 25 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

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The Belgian international will be up for a physical battle against Ahmed Hegazi, who is considered West Brom’s best centre-back since his arrival from Egyptian club Al Ahly last summer. Despite the side’s downfall and the managerial problems the Baggies have experienced, the signing of Hegazi has proven to be one of the few positive factors that the West Brom supporters can talk about.

Salomon Rondon vs Eric Bailly

By now, it should not be a secret that West Brom’s most influential and reliable goal-scorer is none other than Salomon Rondon, an individual who has come up with goals and assists in recent weeks, despite the lack of service offered to him from midfield. Although he is not a complete forward like some well-known strikers in the league, the 28-year-old’s movement and work rate when the team are on and off the ball is second to none.

Rondon’s ability to hold up the ball in the opposition’s half and be a nuisance with his aerial attributes, tends to give his side a huge chance of being effective in the final third. The Venezuelan will be going up against Eric Bailly, who is regarded as United’s best defender in one-on-one situations. Given that the visitors will be playing for pride, Bailly will have to remain very composed against Rondon.

Paul Pogba vs Jake Livermore

Following last month’s international break, Paul Pogba has once again found his stride and completed a solid performance against both Swansea City and Manchester City. During the Manchester derby, his average first-half display was quickly forgotten, as he came up with two important goals after the break, which is the type of reaction that the United fans were looking for.

On the other hand, West Brom’s Jake Livermore has a huge role to play as a defensive-midfielder and he will be hoping that his abilities can help his side to pick up a positive result. With England manager Gareth Southgate still looking to complete his midfield selections for the World Cup, a perfect performance from Livermore could allow him to be part of the team that goes to Russia in the summer.