Four times Tottenham Hotspur faced Manchester United last season, and four times that contest ended favorably. The last one is the only one that matters, though, and for at least this generation, it will
be impossible to separate the thought of Manchester United from the memory of Spurs lifting that trophy at long last.
Infamously, these two clubs finished in the bottom six of the Premier League table despite their Europa League Final participation, but the new campaign has started much brighter for each. Both sit just two points off second place through 10 matches, and while they are far from alone in this part of the table, top four (or five) hopes are well alive for both sides.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, November 8
Time: 7:30 am ET, 12:30 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Peacock (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Table: Spurs (t-6th, 17 pts), United (t-6th, 17 pts)
Aside from the crazy 4-3 win in the League Cup last December, the main theme in Tottenham’s quadruple over United was the defense. A 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in September, a 1-0 success in North London in February, then the 1-0 finale in Bilbao all featured flawless defensive performances that would be welcomed again this weekend.
Three Big Questions
Is a hierarchy forming? Among Tuesday’s standouts were Xavi Simons (who has been routinely starting most matches anyway), Wilson Odobert, and Randal Kolo Muani (despite being unable to finish). Though Odobert struggles with fitness, when he has been on the pitch, he does seem to make Spurs better, and at this point there is no clearly better option at left wing.
Meanwhile, Richarlison’s performance this season has fully proved he is not the No. 9 this squad needs, and even with Kolo Muani’s misses, the Brazilian is third-choice at best. Until Dominic Solanke returns, I would like to see more of Kolo Muani up top. United has allowed the fifth-most goals in the league this season including five in the past three matches; this is a great chance for the Frenchman to get off the mark.
Can Tottenham run the midfield? With Ruben Amorim deploying a back three, it would seem that Spurs could grab hold of the middle of the pitch, especially given Thomas Frank’s preference at these positions. Retaining the ball and breaking up opposing threats has not been the major issue this season, and the home side has the personnel to feel comfortable here.
Whether or not this actually yields any results is a different question. Despite its recent performances, United is obviously better defensively than Copenhagen, and relying on Micky van de Ven — even with his team-leading tally — and Joao Palhinha for goals is not a recipe for sustainable success. I am interested in seeing the Simons-Kolo Muani connection again, but recognize that the central midfielders will be doing far more recycling than forcing the issue this weekend.
Will shot disparity make a difference? United shoots the ball — a lot. Second in the Premier League behind only Liverpool, Amorim’s side takes a healthy number of hacks, which has led to 17 goals scored (same as Tottenham), tied for fourth-best in the league. Each of the club’s past five matches have featured at least 12 total attempts, with Spurs not surpassing that level since West Ham in mid-September.
On the flip side, Tottenham leads the league in goals per shot (0.16), while the United defense is fourth-worst in this metric (0.14). That means that Spurs (and their supporters) will need to be patient, but can capitalize if they weather the storm. The crowd was an asset in Tuesday’s attacking onslaught, and a second consecutive home win would be the perfect way to head into the break.
