Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be eager to get closer to the top-four ambitions when they face off at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The games are starting to come thick and fast across Europe as we approach the business end of the 2021/22 season. Gameweek 29 gets underway in the Premier League on Saturday, with the action on the day ending at Old Trafford, where Manchester United will play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United’s 2021/22 campaign has promised much but has often seen them flattering to deceive. That has also been the case since Ralf Rangnick took over as the interim manager. While the Red Devils’ creative output has increased, their profligacy in front of the goal has often been their undoing. As a result, Rangnick has overseen only eight wins in the 18 games he has managed, with the latest being a 4-1 demolition at the hands of Manchester City.
On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur’s fortunes have improved slightly since Antonio Conte took charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs have also blown hot and cold, much to the annoyance of Conte. But the north Londoners have also shown a lot of positive signs, including their clinical display in the 5-0 win over Everton earlier this week.
Manchester United and Tottenham both had different managers in charge during the reverse fixture in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nuno Espirito Santo. And a 3-0 Manchester United win brought the curtains down on the latter’s reign at Tottenham. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
#MUFC boss Ralf Rangnick does NOT know if Cristiano Ronaldo is 'happy' at the club ?
Rangnick also provides injury updates ahead of clash with #THFC ? pic.twitter.com/DbQaTKgyaD
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 11, 2022
Ralf Rangnick has been handed a triple boost on the team news front ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur. On Saturday, the Manchester United interim manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players. The good news is that Cristiano Ronaldo (hip) and Edinson Cavani (groin) should be available after resuming full training this week.
In addition, Raphael Varane is also back at Rangnick’s disposal after recovering from COVID-19. But the same cannot be said about Luke Shaw, who remains on the sidelines due to his ongoing recovery from the coronavirus. Alongside Shaw, Scott McTominay (calf) will also miss out, while Mason Greenwood is indefinitely suspended by Manchester United.
In Shaw’s continued absence, Alex Telles will continue as the left-back for Manchester United. But Diogo Dalot should return on the opposite flank after a horrendous performance by Aaron Wan-Bissaka in last weekend’s Manchester Derby. Harry Maguire was also poor but should retain his spot in the side.
Maguire will pair up with Varane at the heart of the Manchester United defence, with David de Gea continuing between the sticks. Up ahead in midfield, Fred and Paul Pogba could pair up in the double-pivot, with the Frenchman returning to a deeper role after Rangnick deployed him in an advanced position last weekend.
Bruno Fernandes will be the creator-in-chief for Manchester United, reprising the No. 10 role. Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga should flank the Portuguese playmaker, with Ronaldo returning to the starting eleven to spearhead the Manchester United attack against Tottenham on Saturday. Cavani and Marcus Rashford will be among the backup attacking options for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles; Pogba, Fred; Elanga, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldo
Tottenham Hotspur
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Antonio Conte has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Tottenham Hotspur boss will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Ryan Sessegnon is the latest player sidelined after the youngster sustained a thigh injury in the game against Everton earlier this week. The 21-year-old is unavailable for the remainder of the month after joining Japhet Tanganga (knee) and Oliver Skipp (groin) in the treatment room.
? “Matt is a player that has improved a lot since my arrival, we have worked hard”
Conte discusses Doherty's fantastic form ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Fi22hs6fSC
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 10, 2022
In Sessegnon’s absence, Sergio Reguilon will return to the starting eleven as the left wing-back. The Spaniard will have the resurgent Matt Doherty as his wing-back partner, with the Irish defender playing his best football since joining Tottenham nearly two years ago.
The two wing-backs will flank Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the second line of press. The duo will provide a tenacious presence in the middle of the park. Hojbjerg will also be in charge of bringing an element of forward thrust while looking to open up play with long passes.
The in-form attacking trifecta will remain undisturbed, with Harry Kane leading the line for Tottenham against Manchester United. Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski will flank the Spurs talisman, who will often drop deep to create space for the two wide men.
Hugo Lloris will resume his goalkeeping duties at the opposite end, aiming to be at his solid best against Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies will form the central defensive unit, with the trio seeking to remain compact while looking to play out of the Manchester United press during transitions.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Reguilon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Key Stats
- Manchester United are looking to win three consecutive Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since a run of four between April 2009 and October 2010. Spurs have won two of their last three Premier League away games against Manchester United (L1), as many as they had in their first 26 visits to Old Trafford in the competition (W2 D3 L21).
- Tottenham have lost more Premier League games both overall (37) and away (22) against Manchester United than they have versus any other opponent in the competition. However, Spurs have scored ten goals across their last three visits to Old Trafford in the top-flight, as many as they had in their previous 19 at the ground combined.
- Tottenham’s most recent two Premier League games have seen them beat Leeds United 4-0 and Everton 5-0. They last scored at least four goals in three consecutive league games back in February 2004 – 4-3 vs Portsmouth, 4-2 vs Charlton Athletic and 4-4 vs Leicester City.
- Manchester United are winless in their last three games in all competitions (D2 L1). They have not gone longer without a win since a run of six games in September/October 2019.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in seven goals in his last five Premier League games against Tottenham (four goals, three assists), both scoring and assisting against them in three different matches in this run. Harry Kane has been involved in five goals in his previous three Premier League away games against Manchester United (three goals, two assists), scoring twice and assisting another in Spurs’ 6-1 victory at Old Trafford last season.
Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
It is not often that Cristiano Ronaldo is in the shadow of a player when he turns up for a game. For some time in his storied rivalry with Lionel Messi, he was the second-best when Barcelona and Real Madrid played an El Clasico. But that might be it as far as his years as a prolific goalscorer are concerned.
But there is a high chance that a resurgent Harry Kane could usurp Ronaldo in the battle of the two attacking powerhouses on Saturday. Ronaldo has endured his worst run of form in well over a decade in the new year, and if he cannot find a way to turn things around against Tottenham, it might be another nail in his self-built coffin at Manchester United, taking him a step closer to a summer departure.
Prediction
Manchester United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday’s marquee fixture is a hard one to call. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been the epitome of inconsistency in the Premier League lately, meaning it is hard to second guess which versions of the two teams turn up this weekend.
But Antonio Conte’s men seem to be turning a corner, especially in the wake of their big win over Everton earlier this week. So, while the game should be closely-contested for much of the ninety minutes, the in-form Harry Kane should be the difference-maker, outshining Cristiano Ronaldo in the process. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Tottenham.
