Big Match Feature: Man United v Tottenham

Old Trafford will play host to another thrilling encounter between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, two Premier League sides with contrasting recent form and a rich history of competitive clashes. Catch the action live on SuperSport.

Man United have historically dominated Spurs at home, with 24 victories over them in the Premier League – a record only Arsenal have surpassed in home wins against a single opponent (25 v Everton). However, Tottenham are no pushovers of late, going unbeaten in their last three league meetings against the Red Devils (W1 D2), following a string of defeats in 2021 and 2022.

United are experiencing a difficult period at Old Trafford. They've lost seven of their last 19 Premier League home games (W9 D3), a stark contrast to the 20-game unbeaten run (W17 D3) they enjoyed before this dip. Their most recent home outing was a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Liverpool, leaving Erik ten Hag’s men with questions to answer.

Tottenham, under Ange Postecoglou, enjoyed an impressive start to life on the road, collecting 14 points from their first six away games (W4 D2 L0). However, their away form has since fallen off a cliff, with just 14 points collected from their last 15 trips (W3 D5 L7). No team among the ever-present Premier League sides has fared worse away from home over the past two seasons.

Despite their struggles, Spurs remain resilient when falling behind. Since the beginning of last season, only Manchester City (31 points) have collected more points from losing positions than Tottenham (28), and they once again demonstrated their ability to come back with a 3-1 win over Brentford last time out.

Defensively, United have shown some improvement, keeping four clean sheets in their last six Premier League games. However, when they do concede, they often struggle, losing both games where they let a goal in (W3 D1).

In terms of attacking intent, Manchester United rank third in the Premier League for expected goals (xG) this season (9.6), yet they’ve only scored five times. Bruno Fernandes has had a frustrating time, leading the league in shots without scoring (17). Similarly, Spurs’ talisman Son Heung-Min has been a constant threat, leading the league in chances created from open play (13) and scoring four goals in his last seven games against United.

With Tottenham’s dynamic duo of Son and Dejan Kulusevski leading the charge, and United needing to shore up their defensive vulnerabilities, this game promises plenty of intrigue. Can Spurs capitalise on United’s shaky home form, or will the Red Devils restore their Old Trafford dominance?