HomeFeatured ArticlesTottenham vs Manchester United Preview | Team News, Key Players & Prediction

Tottenham vs Manchester United Preview | Team News, Key Players & Prediction

On May 14th, Tottenham host Manchester United in the final match at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham were hoping to still be alive in the title race by the time this match came around, but their loss to West Ham United last Friday all but ended their chances at the title.  They will still look to give White Hart Lane a good send off with a win over arguably the biggest team in England.  Prior to their loss to West Ham, Spurs had been the hottest team in the country, winning nine matches in a row, including a win over arch rivals Arsenal that confirmed they would finish above their North London neighbors for the first time since 1995.  Even if it will finish trophy-less, it’s been a good final season at White Hart Lane and Spurs will look to cap it off with a memorable win over Manchester United.

This match has significantly less sentimental meaning for Manchester United, but probably more tangible meaning.  United squeezed out into the Europa League final with a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo.  They would prefer not to leave their hopes of Champions League football up to that final, but they may not have a choice.  Already four points behind fourth place Manchester City, any dropped points essentially end United’s hope of a top four finish.  United will need to beat Tottenham if they do not want their seasons success pinned on their Europa League final.

Team News

Tottenham will have the squad they’ve had for the last few months, but both Danny Rose and Erik Lamela will continue to miss out through injury.

Manchester United will be missing a few players through long term injuries including Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Both Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford are late doubts for the match and will have their fitness determined closer to kick off.

Key Players

Tottenham: Christian Eriksen

Tottenham saw four of their players make the PFA team of the season, but Christian Eriksen was not one of them.  Despite this, the Dane has been sensational this season.  He is the only Spurs player with more than two key passes per 90 minutes, of players with at least 1000 minutes played, according to WhoScored.com.  His 3.1 key passes per 90 minutes has him fourth among Premier League players with at least 1,000 minutes played.  His ability to create chances along with score some goals of his own makes him a terrifying prospect for any defense.

Manchester United: Paul Pogba

Manchester United broke the world record for the fee they paid for Paul Pogba this summer.  While he has faced some criticism, the Frenchman has been good for United.  He’s made nearly two key passes per 90 minutes this season, despite being used predominantly in a deep midfield role and only Anthony Martial has completed more dribbles than Pogba.  He’s the type of player that can help break Tottenham’s press and get Manchester United at the back line.

Prediction

This has a lot of potential to be a draw.  Jose Mourinho hates to lose away to top six teams and often looks to set up for a draw.  Tottenham have some trouble when teams sit in deep and often resort to taking lots of shots from distance.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

thejerseyfitz
thejerseyfitz
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