The standout fixture of the weekend is Tottenham Hotspur’s home match against Manchester United. These are two sides that will be trying to compete at the top of the division and it would be a major victory for either, should one come away with three points. It is the first home match in charge for Ange Postecoglou and there could be a weird atmosphere, as it is also the first match without Harry Kane. The supporters may try to get a message across towards Daniel Levy, but they will support those on the pitch.
There were some encouraging signs from Tottenham’s opening day fixture against Brentford. It should be an exciting season for Spurs and expectations are relatively low. Although Kane will leave a major hole in the attack, the new attacking style should help to ensure the team continue to score goals. It seems like a blow to lose Kane and it is, but to give Postecoglou a clean slate to work from could be beneficial in the long term. This is a chance for him to make a statement against one of last season’s top four.
Manchester United managed to get a win in their first fixture of the season, but the performance was far from convincing. Wolves deserved something from the game from open play. When you consider the penalty that could have been awarded in the closing stages, United can feel very fortunate. However, Erik ten Hag will know that results are more important than performances. They will have learned a lot from their opening fixture and it would be a surprise if they weren’t much improved this weekend.
Interesting stats
Tottenham have struggled in this fixture recently, winning just one of the last nine meetings in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Manchester United have only won one of their last nine Premier League fixtures in London.
Key men
Maddison
Tottenham’s star summer addition has been James Maddison. It was an excellent debut from him last week, as he performed well in Spurs’ attack. The team have relied on Harry Kane for creativity in recent years. That will be missed as much as his goal-scoring, but in Maddison, they now have one of the most effective creative players in the Premier League. The signing was a risk free one, as the England international is as much of a guarantee as you can get at this level. Last weekend, he got two assists during the game. The first displayed his set piece ability, while the second showed how he will be central to everything happening in the final third. Last season, he got 10 goals and nine assists in a poor Leicester City team. In Spurs’ attacking style, he could be on for an even better campaign. Manchester United didn’t convince at the back on Monday night. They will be concerned about the impact that Tottenham’s new signing can have.
Rashford
Due to Tottenham’s new style, the game does seem tailormade for Marcus Rashford. There will be space for Manchester United to exploit and Rashford has regularly shown that he is the man to do that. There are fewer better players in world football at running in behind and his improved finishing over the last 12 months means he is the danger man this weekend. Last season was a resurgence for Rashford, as he once again emerged as one of the best players in the Premier League. He contributed 17 goals and five assists in the league. If Manchester United are to make further progression this season, they will need Rashford to be as good as he was in the previous campaign.
Team news
Cristian Romero will be a doubt after going off with a concussion last weekend. Rodrigo Bentancur is missing until September.
Lisandro Martinez is a doubt with an ankle knock. Rasmus Hojlund will not be available for a few weeks.
Verdict
It will be a fascinating match on Saturday, as there are still plenty of questions about both clubs. Manchester United should be more settled, but they didn’t impress in their opening fixture. There should be goals at both ends of the pitch and a draw could be a smart bet.
Tottenham 2-2 Manchester United
