Manchester United will try to reduce the gap to the top four when they host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Manchester United will eye a coveted win over Tottenham Hotspur to prove their credentials once again. The Red Devils failed to win their last match this past weekend and will not want to embark on a winless run.
Manchester United lost another chance to stamp their authority as they played a goalless stalemate with Newcastle United. A number of controversial decisions did take a toll on the result, but the Red Devils cannot ignore the fact they had a couple of gilt-edged chances to put the game to the bed quite easily.
Tottenham have a fresh memory of being subdued by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick last season at Old Trafford. And their priority will be to avert another disaster at the hand of the Portuguese international.
The north Londoners have had a good run of results since their loss to Arsenal, and Antonio Conte won’t complain much with a solitary point in their kitty against the Red Devils. Tottenham are in title contention, and the Italian tactician will not like to break the momentum with unnecessary risk.
Erik ten Hag witnessed an ordinary attacking display against Newcastle, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho struggled to break the deadlock. Sancho was unlucky not to earn a penalty, but Manchester United lacked the intent throughout the match.
There have been plenty of positives for the new manager, but if he fails to muster another win, it would be a massive dent in their top-four aspirations. Tottenham have now produced back-to-back clean sheets in the Premier League. And with Harry Kane riding high on confidence, Conte will be banking on his star man to earn a famous victory in Manchester.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
🎙 The boss was asked about the fitness of Axel Tuanzebe and @BranWilliams in today's press conference.#MUFC || #MUNTOT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 18, 2022
Christian Eriksen missed the last game due to illness, but he should be back in the fold for this match. Marcus Rashford did make a positive cameo and should be handed a start. Anthony Martial is chomping at the bit, but this game might be too soon for him, while Harry Maguire is yet to start training.
Meanwhile, Scott McTominay and Martin Dubravka will return to the squad. The Manchester United treatment room is still full as Donny van de Beek, Brandon Williams, Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all recuperating and will miss the match.
David de Gea registered a clean sheet on his 500th Manchester United appearance. And with his future hovering under the clouds, another commanding display should clear the air.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez led the backline well, and they will be keen to keep another clean sheet. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot will be paired as the full-backs, and they will have a tough challenge against the marauding Tottenham wing-backs.
Casemiro should be one of the first players on the teamsheet, and Scott McTominay will partner him if Eriksen remains absent. Marcus Rashford almost scored a winner against Newcastle, and he should replace Jadon Sancho on the left wing, while Antony should continue his errands on the opposite flank. Bruno Fernandes has not had much to enjoy this season, but he will be the most advanced midfielder. Cristiano Ronaldo should spearhead the Manchester United attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Dalot, Martinez, Varane, Malacia; McTominay, Casemiro; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford
Tottenham Hotspur
Richarlison has already been ruled out of the game, and there are severe doubts about Dejan Kulusevski’s availability. Emerson Royal will be serving the last match of his suspension and won’t be available to take on Manchester United.
Hugo Lloris has not conceded a goal in the last two matches, but he could be up against Cristiano Ronaldo, who could change the face of the match in a moment. Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies should continue in the heart of the Tottenham defence.
Ready for Manchester United 💪
🛵 @Getir_UK pic.twitter.com/ZywRizuKEr
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 18, 2022
Matt Doherty will slot into the right wing-back position. Ivan Perisic has already been involved in three goals in the top flight, and his dangerous crosses from the left flank could pose a danger to the Manchester United defence.
Yves Bissouma could be added in the midfield as an extra body, and he will partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur to build an extra protective layer for the away side. Finally, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min will form the strike partnership for Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Lloris; Davies, Dier, Romero; Doherty, Bissouma, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Son, Kane
Key Stats
- Manchester United have won their last three Premier League games against Tottenham, last winning more matches in a row against them between April 2009 and October 2010 (4). Spurs have lost more Premier League games against Manchester United than they have versus any other opponent (38), while only against Chelsea (110) have they shipped more goals than against the Red Devils (104).
- Manchester United have won more Premier League games on a Wednesday than any other side (72), while they also have the highest win rate of all sides to play more than twice on this day in the competition (61.5 per cent).
- Tottenham have won just one of their last 19 Premier League away games against the five other ever-present sides in the competition (D7 L11), with that victory coming against Manchester United in October 2020 (6-1).
- Antonio Conte has lost all three of his away games against Manchester United, with all of these coming in the Premier League. Against no side has the Italian tactician lost more away games in all competitions in his club career.
- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in this exact fixture last season in a 3-2 win for the Red Devils. Overall, he has scored eight Premier League goals against Tottenham (including six in his last three). Against no side does he have more in the competition.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Kane can become the first Tottenham player to score in six consecutive matches on Wednesday. The 29-year-old has been in fine form and has always risen in big matches. Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane might find it difficult to tempt the Tottenham talisman into indulging in a mistake.
Prediction
Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United’s defence has been pretty solid of late. And the loss of Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski means Antonio Conte is unlikely to go for that kill on the enemy turf. The Hard Tackle thus predicts a cagey affair that will end in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
