The Big Match: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester Utd odds, form stats & prediction
In-form United may have to settle for a share of the points at stretched Spurs
Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
Where to watch
Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 4.30pm Sunday
Match odds
5-2 Tottenham
5-4 Manchester United
12-5 draw
Form
Jose Mourinho faces his former club Manchester United on the worst run of his 935-match managerial career with Tottenham winless in their last six matches.
It's a sequence of results which has seen Spurs crash out of the Champions League and FA Cup and lose ground in the Premier League top-four race.
Tottenham have seven points to find on Chelsea, although fifth could be good enough for Champions League qualification should Manchester City's appeal against a two-year ban be rejected.
United could have most to gain if their neighbours are booted out with the fifth-placed Red Devils four points ahead of Tottenham and boosted by last week's 2-0 success over City at Old Trafford.
Team news
Steven Bergwijn is the latest Spurs star to be ruled out long-term, joining Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko and Heung-Min Son on the sidelines. Ben Davies is unlikely to recover from a hamstring strain, while there are also doubts over Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful Anthony Martial will be available after the French forward missed Thursday's Europa League trip to Austria. Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are still injured.
The tactical battle
Mourinho has used a back three in the majority of recent matches, but he can't find any kind of continuity in team selection and there are often huge gaps with centre-backs Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld wanting to stay deep due to their lack of pace.
United are blessed with pace in the final third and are often at their best on the counter. Solskjaer went with a five-man defence against City last week, although they will have less to fear with Dele Alli likely to spearhead a weakened Tottenham attack.
Therefore a return to the midfield diamond, a formation which allows them to give freedom to Bruno Fernandes as well as select Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic, may offer better balance.
Verdict
United are the more likely winners and punters will probably be queuing up to oppose Spurs, who drifted to outsiders for their recent 3-2 home loss to Wolves and were not even considered favourites by many bookmakers in the 1-1 draw at Burnley.
However, United look short enough. They may not be afforded the opportunity to hit on the break with Mourinho set to keep his defence deep and Solskjaer's side have won only four Premier League away matches.
Clearly, United are playing some of their best stuff of the season, although they failed to win their last domestic trip, drawing 1-1 at Everton, and Spurs have had an extra two days to prepare. Draw 1-1.
Key stats
- Tottenham have kept only two clean sheets in their last 21 matches
- Spurs have won three of their last four at home against the Red Devils
- United's last six away league matches have all been under 2.5 goals
- January signing Bruno Fernandes, a rumoured summer target for Spurs, has scored twice and has three assists in 478 Premier League minutes for United
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