There are strong rumours that LVG could be fired if he does not win this game. Stoke City has been outscored by their opponents at home.

Brittania Stadium will be the venue that will host one of the most anticipated games in Boxing Day in the Premier League. Stoke City will host Manchester United in a match where there is a lot on the line and neither team will be happy unless they come out with a win. For Stoke this is a good chance to hit the Red Devils and for Louis Van Gaal, a win could be a tank of oxygen in his aspirations to stay as the manager of the team.

Stoke City's Preview

The home team is currently in the bottom half of the table as the season approaches its halfway point. With only two more games to go before that happens, Stoke has 23 points after 17 games and a 6-5-6 record to go with it. 

This side has won as many matches at home as it has on the road (3), but they have lost four of the six games in their own field. The team has also been outscored 8 goals in favor to nine against in the eight games that have been disputed at Brittania. 

Their manager Mark Hughes is confident that they have a shot against one of the giants of the league knowing the pressure that United faces in this game. A pressure that has been made evident after the Dutch Iron stormed out of a press conference not even five minutes into it. 

A good result for Hughes against Louis Van Gaal could be the boiling point for the Dutch manager and his career with Manchester in what is only his second season with the team. Hughes wants him and his players to use that pressure in their favor. 

Stoke has won three of their last six games and lost two while they managed to end in a scoreless draw with West Ham. The team has also not been able to win any of their last two games which have been against teams that are ranked higher than them and such is Manchester United.

Manchester United

After failing to qualify to the playoffs in the Champions League, getting good results in the EPL is van Gaal's only way to stay in charge of the ship called Manchester United. The team that with Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the best in Europe and in the world is far away from it despite the top players in their roster now. 

The team is currently in fifth place of the standings with 29 points, which means they are nine units behind Leicester City which is surprisingly for many, the leader after 17 games this season. They have a record of 8-5-4 with four of those eight wins coming on the road.

Despite their high offensive power, the team has struggled with scoring this season, averaging just over one goal per game. So far, they have 22 goals in favor and 17 against. When playing on the road, they have actually outscored their opponents 12 to 11.

Juan Mata and Anthony Martial are the top scorers for the team with four goals each, tied in 21st place with another handful of players. Mata is also the leader in the assists department for the team with three so far in the season.

The Red Devils have changed their ways of playing dramatically in the past five years. From being a team that liked to be quick and lethal, they have now turned to a team that is easier to predict and that cares too much about ball posession. Even Hughes hopes that that trade does not dissappear at least in this game.

Which channel is broadcasting Stoke City vs Manchester United on TV or Online?

  • USA at 07:45 ET: NBCSN, SiriusXM FC, NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra, Westwood One Sports, NBC UNIVERSO
  • Canada at 07:45 ET: TSN1 and TSN3
  • UK at 12:45 GMT : SKY GO Extra, Sky Go UK, Sky Sports 1/HD UK, BBC Radio 5 Live, NOW TV UK

If you live outside of any of the countries mentioned earlier, we invite you to visit the Stoke City vs Manchester United match page with a full list of broadcast options based the place you would like to watch the game from. 

*NOTE: Live broadcast data is subject to change 

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Stoke City 2 - 0 Manchester United

December 26, 2015 7:45amBritannia Stadium (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

Live TV coverage and streaming in United States

NBC Sports App
UNIVERSO
MUTV Online
NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra
SiriusXM FC
TalkSport International
Westwood One Sports

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