Jose Mourinho has started his Tottenham tenure strongly, as The Special One has three wins in an equal number of matches since arriving to the North London side to replace Mauricio Pochettino on the Spurs’ bench. However, now he will go up against his former team, Manchester United. This means he is going to return to Old Trafford for the first time since he was let go by The Red Devils back in December last year.
Recent performance of both teams
Manchester United does not enter this game on a particularly good run of form. The Red Devils are coming off two consecutive Premier League draws against teams that should be considered as “weaker” – Sheffield United and Aston Villa – and they sit in ninth place of the Premier League standings with 18 points after 14 matches. Even though United have lost only one of their last five league games, they only have one win over their last four matches – with two draws and one loss in that span. That’s not the kind of form you would expect from a team that’s looking to contend for a Top 4 berth.
Meanwhile, Tottenham gained quite a boost following Mourinho’s arrival and they have moved to fifth place in the standings with 20 points thanks to his two back-to-back wins against West Ham and Bournemouth, both by identical 3-2 scores. For what is worth, The Spurs are on a run of four undefeated matches (W2, D2) and also secured a win on the UEFA Champions League, as they already reached a spot on the knockout stages of the competition.
Injury Report
If we analyze the injured players, both teams will have to deal with several absences.
United will not feature Paul Pogba (ankle), Marcos Rojo (muscle injury), Diogo Dalot (groin), Eric Bailly (knee) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (knee) out of action. As if that was not enough, central midfielders Nemanja Matic (groin) and Scott McTominay (ankle) are listed as doubtful. The Scottish international has a good chance of returning to action after he failed to pass a fitness test prior to Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, The Spurs won’t have four players due to several injuries. The losses of French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (elbow) and the Argentine playmaker Erik Lamela (thigh) certainly stand out. Ben Davies (ankle) and backup goalkeeper Michael Vorm (calf) are also ruled out for this clash, meaning Paulo Gazzaniga will remain between the posts for the Spurs.
Match Prediction
Manchester United could jump to fifth place in the standings if they secure the three points in this match, although they would also require other results to go their way for that to happen. Their home form has been inconsistent, though – they might register just one defeat in their seven matches on home soil, they are also on a run of three draws in four outings at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, the Spurs have struggled badly on the road and register just one win in seven matches, while also losing thrice during that span. They might be on the rise, though, with two straight games without defeat away from home.
Clashes between Manchester United and Tottenham always bring the attention of football fans who love football betting predictions. Without a doubt, it will be a tight match given both sides’ strengths and weaknesses. Considering the recent results from both sides the Spurs might have an edge, but The Red Devils have been playing their best football at home. Expect this one to end in a draw.
