Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday. The two teams are in similar situations. Both are mid-table after five games, and both have bounced back from defeats to their biggest rivals.
It’s probably too early to put too much stock in the league table, but a win in this clash between the league’s traditional “top six” teams could be the boost they need.
Everything you need to know including team news, stats, fantasy tips and the latest news.
Key details:
date: Sunday, September 29th at 4:30pm BST (11:30am ET)
location: Old Trafford
judgment: Chris Kavanagh
was: Peter Banks
How to watch:
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC Sports in the US. You can also follow the live coverage with live updates from ESPN.
Team News:
All of United’s injuries have been in the defensive line, particularly summer signing Lenny Yoro and first-choice left-back Luke Shaw. Yoro has yet to make his official debut for United after suffering a foot injury in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal in Los Angeles. He is not expected to return until October.
Shaw, who has been suffering from a calf problem, has a similar timetable for his return. “The plan is to be back before (the October international break) but I can’t say 100 per cent for sure,” Ten Hag said on Tuesday. “It could be right after the break.” United are also without Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof.
Meanwhile, Spurs can boast that Richardson and Wilson Odobert are both fit and well, with the only players missing. But Postecoglou said earlier this month that the Brazilian striker would not be back for some time yet.
“He’s quite a ways off. I think it’s best to stop asking about him until I give (reporters) a bit of an update,” he said. “He hasn’t trained with the first team yet, so he’s still a bit off.”
Fantasy Watch:
Fantasy is all about difference. How can you climb the leaderboard when you’re a team like your league rivals? If you follow that mantra this weekend, the move for Matthijs de Ligt could follow.
The Netherlands international is priced at £5m and is owned by just 4.6% of fantasy managers, but he could prove to be an X-factor if he continues to provide an attacking threat from set pieces.
De Ligt scored his first United goal with a header against Southampton and almost did it again against Crystal Palace last weekend, but goalkeeper Dean Henderson denied him.
Despite all the talk about their set-piece record, Spurs have proven to be far from vulnerable to them this season, although the only goal they have conceded was a crucial header from Gabriel Magalhaes in the North London derby. Still, De Ligt could be a valuable addition if he can be a consistent force in the opposition box.
statistics:
Check out stats from the ESPN Stats & Information Group.
Premier League Form Guide:
Manchester United – WLLWD
United struggled to make the fast start Ten Hag had hoped for this season, with defeats to Brighton and Liverpool following Joshua Zirkzee’s winner in the opening game against Fulham. They then looked to have righted the ship with a comfortable 3-0 win over Southampton and an even more emphatic 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
But United were squandered in a 0-0 draw at Palace last weekend and have only collected seven points from their first five games, while Wednesday’s 1-1 Europa League draw at FC Twente will have done little to enthuse fans ahead of the weekend.
0:53
Ten Hag: Rashford speculation is crazy
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has hit out at “crazy” pundit speculation that Marcus Rashford would be left out of the squad ahead of the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
Tottenham – fool
Postecoglou’s side have endured an equally turbulent Premier League campaign with an identical record of two wins from five games. After a draw away to Leicester City and a 4-0 win over Everton, Spurs have had two difficult games. First, they lost 2-1 to disappointing Newcastle United, then 1-0 at home to north London rivals Arsenal.
Spurs put the record straight with an exciting 3-1 win over Brentford last weekend, but the trip to Old Trafford presents an opportunity to continue climbing up the Premier League table and overtake one of their rivals for Champions League qualification.
quotes:
Additional comments from managers will be provided at Friday’s press conference.
Key Players Showdown: James Madison vs. Manuel Ugarte
Over the past 18 months, United have been lacking control and stamina in midfield as Casemiro’s legs have weakened, leading to the summer signing of Manuel Ugarte, a defensive midfielder renowned for his ball-winning ability from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ugarte has yet to start in the Premier League, having been on the bench for the last two league games, but did start in the 7-0 Carabao Cup win over Barnsley. His first appearance in the starting XI could come against Spurs, and he will be desperately needed with James Maddison looking to return to the impressive form he showed early in the season.
Maddison was outstanding in his last Premier League campaign against Brentford, providing the assist for Dominic Solanke before chipping past goalkeeper Mark Fleken to score Spurs’ third. It will be up to Ugarte to shut down the Spurs midfield and allow Mainu to dictate United’s tempo from midfield.
Key questions:
Will Marcus Rashford start?
There was chaos at Selhurst Park when the squads for United’s game against Crystal Palace were handed out, with Marcus Rashford sitting on the bench against Southampton after months without a goal.
Ten Hag had repeatedly backed Rashford throughout his tenure, so when he finally returned to form – he scored twice in the win over Barnsley – it was strange to see him not in the starting line-up. Ten Hag insisted before and after the game that it was just “rotation”, but given the wasteful nature of United’s goalless draw at Selhurst Park, the decision seemed to have backfired.
Following this speculation, it seems likely that Rashford will return to United’s starting line-up against Spurs.
Are Tottenham better than they look?
Spurs have had a tough start to the new Premier League season, but the statistics tell a different story.
Postecoglou’s team performed surprisingly well across a number of key metrics. The north London club came second behind Manchester City in shots (86), shots on target (35), possession (63.2%), passes into the opposition penalty area (97), touches in the opposition box (235) and touches in the attacking third (1,359). At the other end of the pitch, they conceded the second-fewest shots on goal (39), again finishing second behind Guardiola’s team.
They have struggled to consistently translate that statistical advantage into Premier League points so far this season, but Spurs will be hoping to rectify that at Old Trafford.
Latest news:
Referee tells panel not to red card Martinez
The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incident Panel has unanimously backed the decision not to show Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez a red card during the draw at Crystal Palace.
Man Utd release first images of stadium rebuild plan
United have released the first images from their Old Trafford redevelopment project.
ESPN reported last month that United were leaning towards building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford, but no final decision has been made.
Johnson Praised by Postecoglou After ‘Best Week’
Angers Postecoglou has praised winger Brennan Johnson’s ability to bounce back from online abuse after the winger scored the winner in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Brentford.
“He was a real threat from start to finish,” Postecoglou said. “He had a bit of a rough patch last week. But sometimes it gives you perspective on what’s important, and what’s important to Brennan is that he’s a very loved teammate.”
