Premier League | Gameweek 6

Sep 29, 2024 at 4.30pm UK

Old Trafford

Man Utd vs Spurs

Match preview

Man United midfielder Christian Eriksen made headlines on and off the pitch during the Red Devils' Europa League opener with Twente. He opened his side's continental account for the season with a 20-yard strike, but then admitted that the visitors to Old Trafford "wanted" victory more than Ten Hag's team, which is a worrying admission.

Eriksen's goal came before Sam Lammers equalised in the 68th minute. This was the second time in a row that Man United had drawn a game that didn't live up to expectations. Last weekend, they played Crystal Palace and didn't score. Only Dean Henderson and Andre Onana played well.

It's not clear yet whether the INEOS regime will finally decide to replace Ten Hag in the coming weeks. So far, the Dutchman hasn't done much to justify Sir Jim Ratcliffe's decision to stick with him over the summer. After five games, his side is still in the bottom half of the standings.

There's some good news from Manchester, though. The 1-1 draw with Twente saw the Red Devils extend their unbeaten sequence to four matches. Only Southampton have underperformed their Expected Goals (xG) total more than Ten Hag's wasteful unit this season.

It's true that Man United have scored five times from an xG of 9.6, which is the third-highest figure in the top flight. Maybe Ten Hag's men could learn from Tottenham's attacking playbook after Postecoglou's team rediscovered their attacking mojo.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Spurs were struggling with creativity. But Postecoglou's team has bounced back in the final third with eight goals in their last three games. They hit both Brentford and Qarabag for three in the top flight and Europa League.

After emulating Manchester City against Brentford, coming from behind to win after conceding in the opening 30 seconds, Tottenham's first continental match against Qarabag had the potential to be tricky thanks to Radu Dragusin's early sending-off. However, the Azerbaijani side missed several good chances.

Spurs made their European campaign a success by beating their visitors for their wastefulness in the delayed kick-off through Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke. This was their third successive victory and it also marked a third successive win for Postecoglou's revitalised troops.

It's understandable that the Tottenham fans might be worried about their team's performance on the road. In their last 12 Premier League matches away from home, they've only won twice and lost four. They did beat Sheffield United, who were relegated, but that's not a great record.

But the North Londoners managed to get a draw against Man United at Old Trafford last season in that 2-2 thriller. That extends their unbeaten record against the Red Devils to three top-flight matches. And the Theatre of Dreams is certainly no longer the fortress it once was.

Recent Performance

Manchester United Premier League form:WLLWD

Manchester United form (all competitions):LLWWDD

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:DWLLW

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):WLLWWW

Injuries and suspensions

Manchester United

15 Leny Yoro

12 Tyrell Malacia

44 Daniel Gore

7 Mason Mount

23 Shaw

2 Lindelof

Tottenham Hotspur

28 Wilson Odobert

9 Richarlison

Possible starting lineups

Manchester United(4-2-3-1)

24Onana(GK)

3Mazraoui(DR)

6Martínez(DC)

4De Ligt(DC)

20Dalot(DL)

14Eriksen(DMC)

37Mainoo(DMC)

16Diallo(AMR)

8Fernandes(AMC)

17Garnacho(AML)

11Zirkzee(FW)

Tottenham Hotspur(4-3-3)

1Vicario(GK)

23Porro(DR)

17Romero(DC)

37Van der Ven(DC)

13Udogie(DL)

21Kulusevski(MC)

30Bentancur(MC)

10Maddison(MC)

22Johnson(FWR)

19Solanke(FW)

7Heung-Min(FWL)