Back to Premier League action for the first time in 2024, Manchester United entertain fellow top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Following a dreadful 2-1 league defeat to bottom-half strugglers Nottingham Forest at the end of last year, United started 2024 with a 2-0 victory over third-tier Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.
Goals from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes inspired Erik ten Hag’s side to a well-deserved win at the DW Stadium, securing safe passage into the next round while alleviating some pressure on the Dutchman.
Fans watching the Red Devils put the League One outfit to the sword via football streams must have been pleased with the performance, considering United generated an impressive 4.12 xG.
The sleeping giants racked up 33 shots on goal, including 14 on target, producing a rare dominant performance to set themselves up nicely for Tottenham’s visit.
However, Ten Hag is still walking a tightrope, with Man United eight points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs after losing three of their last five Premier League games (W1, D1).
Taking three points could prove a turning point for the Red Devils, and they couldn’t have imagined a better time to face Ange Postecoglou’s injury-hit squad.
In addition to a stacked infirmary, the London heavyweights must cope with the absence of captain and standout player Heung-min Son. who left for the upcoming Asian Cup.
The stars may have aligned for Ten Hag, who must take advantage of this opportunity to reset and potentially launch a much-needed winning cycle.
Match Preview
Since surrendering a club-record 35-game unbeaten home run in a 3-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in September, Man Utd have added three more top-flight defeats at Old Trafford to the tally.
However, the Red Devils have emerged victorious in three of their last four home outings in the Premier League (L1), squeezing past Aston Villa, Chelsea and Luton Town via a single-goal margin.
Conviction has been a rare commodity in Manchester this term, with nine of United’s ten league victories in 2023/24 coming by a single-goal margin, highlighting the potential for another nail-biting contest.
Ten Hag would probably take another narrow win if it was offered before the kick-off despite beating Tottenham 2-0 in his maiden Premier League clash against Spurs in October 2022.
Since going down at Old Trafford a year-and-a-half ago, Tottenham have held Man Utd winless in back-to-back Premier League duels, clocking a 2-2 at home before a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture.
Tottenham got the new calendar year off to a winning start, squeaking past Burnley 1-0 in the FA Cup to make it five wins in their last six competitive matches (L1).
On a more positive note for the Red Devils, Spurs’ travel sickness has seen them pick up just one triumph across their last four league games on the road (D1, L2).
Tottenham’s defensive frailties were on full display during that stretch, with Postecoglou’s side conceding multiple goals in each winless outing, including a disastrous 4-2 defeat at Brighton last time out.
Team News
Speaking to the press following Man Utd’s win at Wigan, Ten Hag admitted Harry Maguire, Christian Eriksen and Luke Shaw could be in contention for the matchday squad.
“Yeah. I think there will be some players – I think it’s hopeful that they can be back at the weekend,” he told reporters, as relayed by ManUtd.com.
“So I’m talking about Christian Eriksen, potentially Luke Shaw. Harry maybe, Mason I think he needs some days or a week more.”
While Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount are edging closer to full recovery from long-term injuries, this encounter will come too soon for them.
As for Tottenham, ex-Chelsea flop Timo Werner has joined the club on loan from RB Leipzig, as confirmed by the club’s official website on Tuesday.
The German forward should fill Son’s shoes, but Spurs will still touch down at Old Trafford significantly weakened.
Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are away on international duty, while Cristian Romero, Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Oliver Skipp, Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon remain injured.
Potential Starting Line-ups
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw; Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay; Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garncaho; Ramsus Hojlund.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso; Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner; Richarlison.
