Manchester United vs Tottenham – Preview, Stats, Team News, Predicted Line-up and More
Preview
Premier League action will start off with a bang on Saturday as Manchester United host Tottenham at Old Trafford. United are currently level on points with Spurs, but sit in the second spot due to goal difference. Last weekend, they suffered the first defeat of the season as Huddersfield pulled off a stunning win.
The game against Spurs would arguably be United’s toughest challenge yet, and another defeat could wreak havoc to the Red Devils’ perfect start. As things stand, both sides are five points behind leaders Manchester City, and can’t afford to lose any more ground in the league race.
Team News
Marouane Fellaini, Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick, Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic remain sidelined through respective injuries. Phil Jones suffered a hip injury in the defeat to the Terriers but recent reports do suggest that we will get to see him play on Saturday. Ander Herrera is a shock injury addition and Jose will have his plans worked out to deal with this central midfield injury crisis.
Here’s how Manchester United might line up against Tottenham
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Formation: 4-2-3-1
David De Gea (GK)
The one consistent factor for United over the past few seasons continues to be the prolific Spanish keeper. De Gea has been instrumental in almost all of United’s success in the recent past, and he should start on Saturday.
Antonio Valencia (RB)
Valencia made way for Darmian against Swansea, which clearly did not work out. Thus, Mourinho is likely to revert to deploying Valencia in that area.
Chris Smalling (CB)
The centre-back has filled the void left behind by Bailly quite decently, which should see him earn a starting spot.
Phil Jones (CB)
Early reports do suggest that the player will be fit to play on Saturday, and he has been one of United’s best defenders this season so far.
Ashley Young (LB)
Ashley Young has shown his experience by performing decently in a make-shift left-back role. He should get to start this important game against Tottenham.
Nemanja Matic (CM)
As influential as ever, Matic has been a rock in United’s midfield. His impressive performances continue and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Spurs’ famed midfielders.
Daley Blind (DM)
Herrera’s injury comes as a shocker for the United faithful but playing Daley Blind in central midfield isn’t a bad prospect after all and expect Mourinho to do it with all happiness as he’d always prefer to have defensive strength on the pitch.
Anthony Martial (LW)
With Rashford a doubt for tomorrow’s game, expect Mourinho to handle the sizzling Anthony Martial a start on the left wing.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (CAM)
Mkhitaryan has been disappointing of late, to say the least. However, his quality remains the same and in big games like these, you’d want players like Mkhitaryan on the pitch, as they can make a difference with one magic pass or move, even on a bad day.
Jesse Lingard (RW)
Lingard will certainly be on a high after his scintillating display against Swansea, making him an ideal candidate for the starting XI.
Romelu Lukaku (ST)
Going up against a resilient Spurs defence will be tough but we have seen Lukaku do that better before. He is expected to start but there will be a lot of pressure on him to deliver results.
Head to Head Stats
- Manchester United have won their last three Premier League home games against Tottenham without conceding a goal.
- Spurs have lost 20 of their 25 Premier League trips to Old Trafford (W2, D3) – their worst away record against any club in the division.
- United have only lost four of their last 32 top-flight fixtures with Spurs (W20, D8).
- However, those four wins for Tottenham have come in the last 10 meetings between the sides (D3, L3), including a 2-1 victory in May.
- Spurs will be looking to record consecutive league victories over United for the first time since April 1990.
Stats Courtesy: BBC
Prediction
Knowing what Mourinho is and knowing what Tottenham are right now, the game is expected to be a tactical war. Pochettino has done remarkably well and Spurs are no pushovers these days. Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku will have a huge say on the result and it is surely going to be a high-intensity game.
Predicted Final Score: Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur