Match Preview: Tottenham v Manchester United

A very important tie on Saturday evening for Manchester United.Will Manchester United players rally behind Solskjaer or will Tottenham get their sixth win of the campaign?

Team News

Tottenham’s Ryan Sessegnon is out but Bryan Gil will undergo a late fitness test.

For Manchester United, Varane is back and will be looking to feature for United in this match. Anthony Martial is also back, but they’ll be without the suspended Paul Pogba.

Predicted XI Tottenham v Manchester United

Tottenham

Lloris; Emerson, Romero, Dier, Reguilon; Skipp, Hojbjerg; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane

Manchester United

De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo.

More than three points

This match could decide the immediate future of Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After last weekend’s humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, United will need to respond. For Tottenham and Nuno, a victory in this match will help ease some tension at the club.

This game is more than just three points, especially for Manchester United players. United players don’t just need a win, they need a convincing victory to bring some calm back to the club.

In Focus:

Tottenham have only scored 9 times this season. Their five wins have come with just a goal margin, so they don’t score too much. Although Manchester United’s defense this season has been very poor, they should be able to cope with Tottenham’s threat.

This match will show if the Manchester United players truly want Solskjaer as their coach or not.

Stats

* The Old Trafford side have conceded 10 Premier League goals this October, more than any other side. They have only conceded more than 10 in two calendar months, shipping 11 in October 1996 and December 2018. They have also conceded 4+ goals in their last two league games (2-4 vs Leicester, 0-5 vs Liverpool), last doing so in more consecutive league games in December 1961 (three in a row)

Son Heung-min

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min had a hand in four goals in his two games against Manchester United last season (3 goals, 1assist), having failed to register a single goal involvement in his first eight appearances against the Red Devils.

* Tottenham have lost more Premier League games against Manchester United than they have versus any other side in the competition (36).

* Manchester United have lost three of their last four Premier League matches (D1), as many as in their previous 37 league games (W23 D11). The Red Devils have not lost three Premier League games in a row since December 2015 under Louis van Gaal.

* United’s record 29-game away unbeaten run in the Premier League ended in their last match on the road against Leicester. They last lost consecutive away games in the competition in the two matches that preceded their unbeaten run – against Arsenal and Liverpool in January 2020.

* Nuno Espírito Santo has lost four of his first nine Premier League matches as Spurs manager (W5) – the only manager to lose more than four of his first 10 Premier League games in charge of Tottenham was Christian Gross in 1997-98, who lost five.

Mason Greenwood

Greenwood has scored five goals in his last seven away Premier League appearances and nine overall on the road for Manchester United – at 20 years and 29 days on the day of this game, he could become the youngest player to score 10 away Premier League goals since Wayne Rooney (19y 21d) in November 2004, with Rooney scoring his 10th goal away at Newcastle for Manchester United.

Ronaldo Drought?

* After netting three goals in his first two Premier League appearances for Man Utd this season, Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t scored in any of his last four league matches, his worst run since November 2017 for Real Madrid (also four in a row). He hasn’t gone five in a row without a goal since a run of nine for the Red Devils between November 2008 and January 2009.