The Hard Tackle lists three players who can have a positive impact when Manchester United and Tottenham clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The elongated Gameweek 21 of the 2023/24 Premier League season continues on Sunday, which brings us only two games. The marquee fixture of the latest round of fixtures comes on the day, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur locking horns at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have endured a horrific 2023/24 season thus far. The Red Devils have won only half of their Premier League games while dropping out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage after finishing bottom of their group. But Erik ten Hag’s men head into Sunday’s game on the back of an FA Cup third-round win over Wigan Athletic.
Like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur progressed in the FA Cup after getting past Burnley. The North London giants have grown in stature under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou, playing an eye-catching brand of football. And they can leapfrog Arsenal in the Premier League standings and enter the top four with a win on Sunday.
Sunday’s game is crucial for both teams as they look to keep their objectives alive for their Premier League campaigns. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists three players who can singlehandedly swing the tie in their team’s favour this weekend.
Richarlison
The early days of the 2023/24 season saw Son Heung-min and James Maddison take charge of the proceedings in the final third for Tottenham. At the same time, critics and rival fans did not hesitate in taking the mickey out of Richarlison, who struggled to make his mark.
It later emerged that the Brazilian international was dealing with mental issues, with Ange Postecoglou lending him ample support. That has worked wonders, with Richarlison’s performance levels rising considerably.
The 26-year-old has a solid tally of seven goals and three assists in a little over 1,000 minutes of game time, contributing to a goal every 100 minutes. In addition, the former Everton forward has found the back of the net five times in his last five Premier League outings.
With Son away on international duty with South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup and Maddison on the sidelines with an ankle injury, the onus will be on Richarlison to deliver the goods in the final third and earn the required three points for Tottenham against Manchester United.
Marcus Rashford
Our list continues with the offensive theme as we veer towards Manchester United. Like Richarlison, this player has had no shortage of critics and naysayers this season due to his sub-par form. We are talking about Marcus Rashford.
The expectations around Rashford were sky-high after an excellent 2022/23 campaign, where he became a talismanic figure for Manchester United. The Englishman breached the 30-goal barrier for the first time in his career, setting a benchmark for future seasons.
But Rashford has been a shell of the player he was last season, struggling to stamp his authority for most of the campaign thus far. The spark has been missing from his game, and he has become too predictable. In addition, his work rate has left a lot to be desired.
With Manchester United’s top-four hopes fading, they need a spark to reignite their campaign and embark on a winning run to climb through the table. So, while Bruno Fernandes will be a pivotal figure again, how Rashford fares will go a long way in resurrecting his and his team’s fortunes.
Timo Werner
Our list ends with another much-maligned attacker as we continue the offensive theme to round it off. This player will make his second debut in the Premier League and his first appearance for his new team. We are talking about Timo Werner, the Chelsea flop.
The German international previously spent two years in England with Chelsea, winning the UEFA Champions League. But he was nowhere close to the player who had set the stage alight in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig before arriving in the Premier League.
Leipzig re-signed him ahead of the 2022/23 season, but his struggles continued. So, it was surprising when Tottenham secured his services on a short loan until the end of the 2023/24 campaign. But Werner now has a point to prove when he takes the field for Tottenham against Manchester United to show that the Chelsea horrors were indicative of a bad fit instead of other issues.
With his stock plummeting, Werner needs to take control. And a match-winning performance against Manchester United on his Tottenham debut can make a considerable difference. But things will get difficult for him if he does not rise to the occasion on Sunday.