Mount: These games are extra special

Our no.7 heads into the game tonight (Monday) in fine form after a superb display in the 4-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers a week ago.

His expert finish, applied to Bruno Fernandes's perfectly timed pass, was Mount's third goal of the campaign so far, and the 26-year-old will be hoping to retain his place, with praise from head coach Ruben Amorim ringing in his ears.

Raised in Portsmouth on the south coast, about an hour's drive from the Vitality Stadium, the England international has a great deal of respect for the progress the Cherries have made in establishing themselves in the Premier League.

"They’re always special, the night games under the lights are the ones, I mean you get excited for every game, but the ones that really excite you because they’re under the lights and it’s at night," he told club media.

"I mean you don’t have loads of opportunities to play games like that, at the moment [due to not being in Europe].

"So, yeah, they’re definitely the ones you look forward to."

United may have beaten Bournemouth 4-1 in the United States as part of Tour 2025, when Mount played 70 minutes in Chicago, but he saw enough quality in their side to suggest they would do well again.

Despite a dip in form of late, Andoni Iraola's men were among the front-runners in the table earlier in the season and nobody needs reminding they have won 3-0 on each of their previous two trips to Old Trafford.

"They’ve got a good manager and a good squad," Mount asserted. "We played them in pre-season, and we won the game, but you could really see that their squad and their group of players are really top.

"So, any game in the Premier League is difficult now, and you’ve got to be ready and prepared to start the game well. So, yeah, we’ll be ready for that."