Premier League [Preview]: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur in an eagerly anticipated Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon. The Red Devils have stumbled in the top-flight of late with a draw and defeat to Liverpool and Huddersfield Town respectively extending their gap to league leaders Manchester City. Jose Mourinho’s side are still second in the league standings with 20 points, five adrift of their cross-town rivals. Meanwhile, Spurs have found form following their Wembley struggles earlier in the season, and they are presently only behind the Red Devils on goal difference.

What happened in midweek?

United secured a 2-0 triumph over Swansea City in the fourth round League Cup tie with Jesse Lingard finding the scoresheet in either half. The game saw Mourinho utilise a 3-4-1-2 formation, and it could well be the way ahead for the Spurs clash.

Just when they looked to have turned the corner, Spurs succumbed to a surprise 3-2 League Cup defeat to West Ham United at Wembley. Spurs lead by a 2-0 scoreline in the first period, but the Hammers came back with goals from Andre Ayew (two) and Angel Ogbonna. Probably a result which saves Slaven Bilic’s job for a while.

Players to watch for:

Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United: The Belgium international has made a fine start to his United career with seven league goals in nine appearances. Lukaku is still termed as a flat-track bully with just five goals scored against top-six opposition since the summer of 2014. The 24-year-old could not quite capitalise on his one-on-one against Liverpool earlier this month, but he will be determined to prove his big-game potential against Pochettino’s side. Lukaku is presently on a mini-goal drought with no goals in his previous two league outings.

Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur: Kane is undoubtedly one of the in-form strikers in the Premier League. The England international presently leads the scoring charts with eight goals despite scoring none in the month of August. The 24-year-old has netted four braces in nine league outings, and United could be rest assured that the marksman will prove a constant menace to their backline. Kane scored a goal in either half last Sunday as Spurs thrashed Liverpool by a 4-1 scoreline.

Prediction:

Backing a close Spurs win at OT…

Manchester United 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Image – Getty