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The most enticing Premier League fixture of the weekend pits together two sides currently in mid-table but with aspirations of challenging for the top four.
Manchester United’s response to being comfortably beaten by Liverpool has been positive. But after convincing victories over Southampton and Barnsley, they have played out frustrating draws with Crystal Palace and Twente - both matches they did enough to win.
Those last two results were somewhat disappointing, but there is still a feeling of momentum gathering at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have looked far more competent off the ball and assured at the back following the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt and the return of Lisandro Martinez.
Erik ten Hag rotated his side for the visit of Twente and may revert to the XI that started at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham lost their first two league games of September and when they went 1-0 down to Coventry City in the Carabao Cup, things were threatening to unravel for Ange Postecoglou.
The late turnaround against the Sky Blues triggered a sense of relief rather than jubilation. Spurs picked up three much-needed points at home to Brentford last weekend, and got their Europa League campaign off to a satisfactory start, defeating Qarabag 3-0 despite playing 82 minutes with 10 men.
Three wins in three competitions have eased the pressure on Spurs, but dropping more league points against a side they are competing with for European positions would be far from ideal.
Man United vs Tottenham has been a consistently entertaining match-up as of late, particularly at Old Trafford, where 24 goals have been scored across the last six fixtures.
Spurs enjoyed 3-0 and 6-1 triumphs in Greater Manchester during that time. The first was under Mauricio Pochettino while Jose Mourinho was in charge of United. The latter occurred when Mourinho was Tottenham boss, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær was the Red Devils’ manager.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick saw United beat Spurs 3-2 in another memorable affair in 2022. Last season’s clash was also a thriller, as they played out a 2-2 draw.
Tottenham have had some memorable outings at Old Trafford in recent years, but their away form under Postecoglou leaves a lot to be desired.
Spurs are on a decent run following their North London derby loss, but United have shown an ability to hurt them.
Man United have had 77 shots in their last four games. While Spurs might not allow quite so many as other opponents this month, the hosts should still have plenty of efforts. The best bet is for De Ligt to record a shot on target.
United’s capture of De Ligt from Bayern Munich is looking like a shrewd piece of business. The 25-year-old has nailed down a starting position and scored his first goal for the Red Devils at Southampton two weeks ago.
The Dutchman’s headed effort at St Mary’s was one of two shots on target he registered that afternoon. He then worked the goalkeeper three times in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
Ten Hag’s side have had some joy with deliveries into the box, and that’s an area in which Spurs have struggled at times this term. Gabriel’s header for Arsenal proved decisive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and United will feel they can have similar joy from set pieces.
De Ligt was rested against Twente on Wednesday. His replacement, Harry Maguire, had two attempts on target, as United utilised the quality of Bruno Fernandes’ crossing. Expect more of the same on Sunday.
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