The English Premier League soccer season is finally back after the summer break and Manchester United begin their campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion this coming Sunday.
The Red Devils finished in 6th place in the league last season, but the biggest soccer club in the world decided to bring in a new manager and signed three new players ahead of the game with Brighton who finished in 9th place.
It was one of their worst seasons in recent times, but can they bounce back under Erik Ten Hag? Lets take a look at the game and give you our best free betting picks for the clash to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the summer.
| Premier League Soccer |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | -170 | -190 | -172 |
| Draw | +500 | +525 | +300 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | +320 | +330 | +480 |
Learn more about how to bet on the Premier League here.
Manchester United vs Brighton information
- Sunday, August 7th, 2022
- Old Trafford, Manchester, England
- Kick off at 09:00 EST
- Live on NBC
Manchester United vs Brighton odds
- Manchester United - (-170)
- Brighton & Hove Albion - (+480)
- Draw - (+525)
The 20-time English soccer league champions are considered the favorites for this curtain raiser for the season, however it's probably not as wide a gap as many would have predicted.
United have had a mediocre pre-season under the new manager and are still short in several areas of their squad, particularly central midfield and in attack.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo still being at the club he is likely to start the game as a substitute having missed the majority of pre-season due to a family issue, although he is also pushing to leave the club after their failure to make the Champions League for this coming season.
A protracted pursuit of Frenkie De Jong has also so far proved fruitless, but Christian Eriksen has joined the club in midfield to add more creativity to the side.
Brighton on the other hand have had a quiet summer window so far, but are likely to lose two of their most important players before a ball is kicked.
Yves Bissouma has joined Tottenham earlier in the summer, while left wing-back Marc Cucurella is now set to join Chelsea in a deal worth more than £50m. Without them the team is much weaker, but manager Graham Potter is very good at re-jigging to get the best out of his players and they'll prove difficult opposition.
Back Manchester United to claim victory
Despite the lacklustre pre-season to warm themselves up, United should still have too much for the Seagulls when they match up at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has implemented a new possession based style at the club and they have taken to it well, although defensively there are still some lapses that need to be ironed out for them to be considered at all successful.
With that said though, Brighton aren't the best soccer team defensively and having lost two key players including one just before the game, they are going to be significantly weaker than they were at the end of last season.
United should have the ball for long enough spells that they're able to create several chances and with the attacking quality they have on the pitch, expect them to convert at least a few of those even without Ronaldo on the pitch.
With the home crowd behind them too, they should be able to overcome any tough situations Brighton put them in to be able to leave with all three points on the day and start the season in a positive fashion.
Learn more about how to bet on Manchester United here.
Marcus Rashford should return to form
The 2021/22 season was a big disappointment for young Marcus Rashford, after a 20+ goal season the year before and then reaching the Euro 2020 final with England.
He underwent shoulder surgery and ankle rehabilitation but never seemed fully recovered while playing in an underperforming team and registered the worst season of his professional career.
But during pre-season he looked reinvigorated in this new system playing as a left-winger and he linked up well with fellow attackers Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial. Ronaldo is likely to miss out from the start and that means the goals will need to be shared out much more among the rest of the squad.
With responsibility back on his shoulders to be potent in front of goal and help carry the team forward, he will thrive in the spaces afforded to him by the Brighton system out wide.
With renewed confidence and a match sharpness that he's been missing for the best part of a year, back the academy star to find the back of the net in the opening game of the soccer season to help the Reds claim all 3 points.
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