Tottenham vs Manchester United: Premier League: Match Preview & Prediction

English Premier League is back with a bang as Tottenham Hotspur plays host to Manchester United in a blockbuster clash.

This game will see Jose Mourinho coming face to face with his former team as he looks to guide Tottenham into the top four. Tottenham’s performances before the suspension were dismal and they would like to get going with a win against one of their top four rivals.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will be geared up and will fight tooth and nail for a crucial three away points.

Position on the table

Appointment of Jose Mourinho on the hot-seat didn’t pan out the way it was intended. Spurs are currently in the eighth position and have managed to only win 11 games so far this season. The London-based club is also seven points behind one of the Champions League spots.

Signing of Bruno Fernandes in January came like a breath of fresh air for the Lancashire club as they went on a five match unbeaten streak in the league. The Red Devils are currently sitting on the fifth position with 45 points to their name.

Form before suspension

Tottenham’s last five games saw them post two wins, two losses and a draw. They succumbed to hard-fought defeat against Wolves and Chelsea.

No player from Tottenham found the back of the net as Chelsea put two past Spurs at the Stamford Bridge. Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso were on the score-sheet for the Blues. Solitary goal for Spurs also came courtesy a Antonio Rudiger own goal.

Manchester United have been unbeaten in the league for the past five matches. The icing on the cake was a 2-0 home win against their city rivals, Manchester City.

Anthony Martial opened the scoring with a sublime finish from a beautiful dink by Bruno Fernandes. Scott McTominay capped off the win with a goal deep into the injury time.

Head to Head

Games played: 192

Manchester United won: 92

Tottenham won: 52

Draws: 48

In their last five matches against each other, the Red Devils have won three with Spurs coming up with two victories. Spurs have scored seven goals, whereas United have come up with five. 

In the reverse fixture this season at Old Trafford saw Marcus Rashford taking the mickey out of Spurs with brilliantly taken two goals. Dele Alli scored the only goal for the visitors as they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat.

It is worth noting that these two don’t play a lot of draws with their last one coming way back in 2014. With both the clubs coming up rusty, we may be in for a nail-biting affair..

Team News

Dele Alli is suspended for the welcome of Manchester United but Son Heung-Min is back in the fold for Spurs to provide a huge boost to their chances.

For Ole's team, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are set to return for this one and Phil Jones is the only injury concern.

Key Battles

Son Heung-Min vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Son has taken over from Harry Kane to be Tottenham’s major attacking threat. He has been in tremendous form this season and is directly involved in 16 goals for them. His goal against Burnley was one for the ages as he sprinted whole length of the pitch to score a sensational solo goal.

Wan-Bissaka has been a rock at the back for United with his well timed tackles and ferocious interceptions. The young English right-back loves defending and Son will have his hands full throughout the contest.

The South Korean international is quick and is adept at shooting with his both feet. This is a huge advantage as defenders have no clue about the direction he will turn next. Bissaka is young and slightly inexperienced and this will prove a big test as to where he stand and how far he has come.

Serge Aurier vs Marcus Rashford

Aurier is a talented footballer who gives his all on the pitch. The Ivory Coast captain is built like a rock and will face off against the blue-eyed boy of United in the form of Marcus Rashford.

Rashford has been a hero off the pitch during the COVID-19 crisis and now it’s his chance to be a hero on it. The English forward is having his best season till yet as he is the leading goal-scorer for United with 14 goals in spite of making most of his appearances on the wings.

Last time these two teams faced each other, Rashford was on a roll as he downed Spurs with a brace. He will try to do an encore but it will be tough against Aurier, who will not give him even an inch to move.

The issue with Aurier is that, at times he tend to be a bit reckless and gets carded a lot, which hurt his team on many occasions. He has to be careful and be at his absolute best as Rashford won’t think twice to punish Spurs again.

Prediction

The break in football came at the right time for Spurs as they were knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup in quick succession and are without a win in their past six matches in all competitions. On a positive note, they only have to focus on the Premier League now and they will look to start afresh.

On the contrary, the Red Devils have won their last five matches in the league and have kept four clean sheets during the run, which is as many as they managed in their previous 35 games.

Red Devils are firing on all cylinders, whereas Spurs have kept the joint fewest clean sheets in the league this season. We predict a narrow away win for Manchester United.

Score Prediction:- Tottenham 1-2 Manchester United