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Manchester United can’t afford to drop anymore points this early in the season if they hope to catch up to league leaders Chelsea and take back the English Premier League title. This means they’ll have to come out of Bolton on Sept. 26 with all three points. And the way the 13th place Wanderers are playing, United should be able to pull it off even though they’re having a hard time of it defensively so far.

United’s been scoring enough goals, but have also been letting them in at an alarming rate. This has cost them against Fulham and Everton, who both wiped out late deficits to come back and earn a point each. United almost had the same thing happen to them last weekend as they let a 2-0 lead against Liverpool slip, but came back to win 3-2.

Striker Dmitar Berbatov’s been carrying the team so far with his six goals and they’re waiting for Wayne Rooney to break out of his slump. Rooney has scored just once this season and that came on a penalty kick. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have played well, but the back four hasn’t been very impressive and neither has the goaltending really.

United came out of Scunthorpe with a 5-2 win on Wednesday in the Carling Cup and Michael Owen bagged a couple of goals. He’ll likely start on the bench in Bolton, but should have his confidence boosted from midweek if he’s used as a sub. Midfielders Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, and Owen Hargreaves are still out with injuries, but everybody else seems healthy.

Bolton has managed just six points out of 15 so far, with a win, loss, and three draws. Burnley knocked them out of the Carling Cup in midweek by a 1-0 score. The club doesn’t really have too much going for them at the moment and hasn’t beaten United since November of 2007. They’ve lost six in a row to Manchester and have just three draws out of their last four games at home at the Reebok Stadium.

Kevin Davies and Jussi Jaaskelainen are back after being suspended, but Andy O’Brien, Joey O’Brien, and Sean Davis will probably all miss the clash because they’re injured. Gary Cahill will also miss it as he’s suspended.

Manchester City vs Chelsea Betting Odds and Predictions

United needs to sort out their defensive problems soon and if they do, they should win this game by 3 or 4-0. If they’re still struggling, it could be quite a bit closer, but they should still come out with three points.

Sportsbook Bodog has the odds of a Bolton win posted at 6/1, with a United win at 1/2 and a draw at 57/20.