Sunday will see a true six-pointer at the bottom of the Premier League table, as 14th place Manchester United travel to Carrow Road to take on 19th place Norwich City with only three points separating the two sides in the fight to avoid relegation.
The Red Devils had arguably their most impressive performance of the season last weekend, securing a 1-1 draw versus league leaders and bitter rivals Liverpool.
Going into the game, fans at Old Trafford were worried that they were going to see their team get blown out of the water. United were hovering at the bottom half of the table while the Reds had won every single one of their games to start the campaign.
However, that would not be the case, as United were able to frustrate the away side early on. Sitting back and hitting on the counter, the Red Devils shockingly took the lead at the half hour through Marcus Rashford, who volleyed home after a superb cross from Daniel James.
Liverpool thought they had tied the contest up before halftime when Sadio Mane got past Victor Lindelof and slotted home from close range, but after a VAR review, the goal was called off for a clear handball.
From that point on, the bus was fully parked in front of the United goal. They put up a good fight on the night, but just couldn’t hold on, as Adam Lallana snuck past the backline to tap in a low cross from Andrew Robertson.
The Red Devils were ultimately left disappointed that they couldn’t pick up all three points, but fans were still happy enough to get one at full time.
Norwich have had a season full of ups and downs already, but their latest matchup was their most boring by far.
On the road to take on AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, it was a dreadful first half where neither team managed to create much going forward. Fans had hoped things would improve in the second half, but it was just more of the same.
The Canaries were able to hold on until full time, securing their first clean sheet and point away from home this campaign.
Last time out
It’s been about three and a half years since these two sides last faced off, back when Louis Van Gaal was in charge of the Red Devils.
Also taking place at Carrow Road, it was a contest between two sides on opposite sides of the table. United were challenging for a top four spot, while the Canaries were simply fighting for survival.
A tense affair early on, the Red Devils controlled possession but did not do much with it. It was a peak LVG performance from the team, who weren’t doing bad per se, but were still boring fans on a weekly basis.
Ultimately, United would break the deadlock courtesy of a simple long ball played in behind. Wayne Rooney got on the end of it, turning in the penalty area before laying a pass off to Juan Mata, who made no mistake with the finish, sliding a shot past the onrushing keeper.
It would be all Louis Van Gaal’s Red Army needed, as they kept it tight at the back to take home the three points.
Team news
Things have gotten a bit better for United on the injury front, but it’s still far from an ideal situation at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard gained some crucial match fitness in the Europa League on Thursday, and while David De Gea didn’t play, he’ll almost certainly be back in goal at the weekend.
However, those seem to be the only players coming back into the team, as Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Nemanja Matic, and Axel Tuanzebe are all still on the treatment table with no clear return date.
Norwich have been decimated by injuries so far this season, and even though they have a few players returning to the team, they still have many others who are unavailable.
Mario Vrancic and Ralf Fahrmaan have yet to recover from injuries they picked up in preseason, while the trio of Timm Klose, Christoph Zimmermann, and Grant Hanley are also out of action for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that they are finally getting some names back, with Tom Trybull and Onel Hernandez both back to first team fitness.
Predicted lineups
Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Amadou, Godfrey, Lewis, Tettey, McClean, Buendia, Leitner, Cantwell, Pukki
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Jones, Williams, Andreas, Fred, Lingard, Rashford, Martial
What to watch for
Bad offense versus bad defense
Sunday should be an interesting contest, as it’s a matchup pitting one of the most inept attacking lineups in the league against a defense that’s somehow even worse.
After an offensive explosion to start the season versus Chelsea, the United attack has cooled down significantly, only scoring six goals in their last eight league games. It’s been just as bad in Europe, as the Red Devils only have one shot on target in their last two Europa League contests, with that lone effort being a penalty.
Norwich have been just as tragic at the back, conceding 21 goals this season, which was tied for worst in the Prem going into this weekend. They somehow managed to give up five to Aston Villa at home, while also letting in four against Liverpool and three versus Chelsea. Injuries haven’t helped things, but the Canaries always seem like an accident just waiting to happen at the back.
Some tend to question what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, but Sunday will prove what happens when the opposite takes place instead.