Manchester United and Stoke City are playing on the English Premier League schedule as the busy December period picks up and things kick off at 2:45 pm ET and it will be on TV from the NBC Sports Network and on the NBCSN Live Extra website online from Old Trafford as Wayne Rooney gets set to return.
Manchester United has been playing well and now they are at fourth on the league table and they have the chance to make some major moves this month. The start of the season was not that great, but they have been in good form this year and now have the chance to get things going down the stretch. The English Premier League table has Chelsea firmly at the top and now Man U will look at cutting into that lead. This would be an upset for Stoke and that is why Man United will be up and ready for this matchup and the team hasn't won at Old Trafford in decades.
The team has a four point stretch to catch up with Southampton and they are five points back of Manchester United. The team has been scoring on a more consistent basis and they are one of the better defensive teams overall. The team has allowed 15 goals and they need to continue working on that, as Chelsea remains at the top with a plus 19 goal differential this season. Wayne Rooney comes in looking to be in top form and they need him, as Man United will be without Angel Di Maria.
Di Maria is dealing with a hamstring injury and Rooney comes back after dealing with a knee issue that came down against Hull City, which was a win for the team on Saturday. Louis van Gaal is happy with the way his team played last week and he feels that they have turned a corner and now consistent play could keep them in or near the top four for the next month. If the team can take that into the New Year they will have a good chance of staying in the mix after the major disappointment last season.
The Premier League schedule picks up in December and the holiday time with a number of games during the week and weekend and that starts on Tuesday. Games are also on Wednesday and some matchups on the schedule include Liverpool and Leicester City, while West Brom and West Ham also will face off. The Stoke and Man United match comes ahead of Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, while Sunderland and Man City will play on Wednesday. The matchups on Wednesday also include Arsenal and Southampton in an important matchup, while Chelsea hosts Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. The other Wednesday match is Everton and Hull City playing.
Check here for the Manchester United and Stoke City live coverage.