Tottenham Hotspur look to be steering in the right direction after an up-and-down start to the campaign, but now face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League clash that both teams desperately need to win.
United, who won the FA Cup before the summer, have not started well under Erik ten Hag, thrashed on home turf already by Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
The Red Devils and Spurs are level in points in the standings – seven after five matches – though Tottenham have scored nine goals to tomorrow’s opponents five. Ange Postecoglou will hope to utilise that ostensible attacking advantage to score a statement win.
14/01/2024
Premier League
2-2 draw
19/10/2023
Premier League
2-0 loss
12/03/2023
Premier League
3-2 loss
04/10/2020
Premier League
6-1 win
04/12/2019
Premier League
2-1 loss
Postecoglou’s side beat Qarabag 3-0 in their Europa League opener on Thursday evening despite playing the majority of the contest with ten men after Radu Dragusin was sent off early on.
Skipper Heung-min Son hobbled off in the second half in what could be a significant blow to the visitors’ attacking fluency. Will he make it to the starting lineup? We reckon Postecoglou could ring six changes for the match at the Theatre of Dreams, following the midweek triumph.
1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Guglielmo Vicario has not missed a minute in the Premier League since he was signed from Serie A side Empoli for an initial £17m fee in August 2022.
That won’t change on Sunday.
2 RB – Pedro Porro
Rested for the midweek Europa League tie, Pedro Porro’s completeness will be crucial against Man United, with the Spaniard set to tussle against one of Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford.
He scored on the opening day of the term and has averaged two key passes and 2.6 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.
3 CB – Cristian Romero
Postecoglou spoke of some “fresh guys” who had been rested for the continental clash, and Cristian Romero is one of them. A tough-tackling titan if there ever was one, he’s a monstrous presence in defence and will strike fear into the hosts’ attacking line, who have not yet found their shooting boots in 2024/25.
4 CB – Micky van de Ven
Micky van de Ven continues to exceed expectations. The Dutch defender is as dynamic as he is dominant in the backline, though he has struggled to hit the same sharpness in the duel so far this season, winning just 38% of his ground battles. That needs to change.
5 LB – Destiny Udogie
He was given a rest against Qarabag, but Destiny Udogie ended up playing around 80 minutes of football on Thursday, replacing youngster Lucas Bergvall after 12 minutes following Dragusin’s dismissal.
A physical specimen with pace and power in abundance, Udogie will be a constant thorn in Man United’s flank.
6 CM – Pape Matar Sarr
Reprising his role in the middle of the park after a goalscoring display against Qarabag, Pape Matar Sarr hasn’t actually played over 45 minutes of football in the English top flight since the opening day of the season.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
1
Touches
60
Shots (on target)
2 (1)
Accurate passes
46/50 (92%)
Long balls
2/2
Ball recoveries
3
Tackles + interceptions
2
Total duels (won)
4 (2)
He scored in the Europa League, though, and will bring the energy and drive to Postecoglou’s midfield that will be needed to overcome United’s efforts.
7 CM – Rodrigo Bentancur
With Sarr looking to keep his starting berth, Postecoglou will need to choose between Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur to complete his midfield, and he should well opt for the latter.
The Uruguayan, aged 27, is an all-encompassing star, and having completed 92% of his passes in the Premier League this term, will bring the control that his team need to leave Manchester with a positive result.
8 RW – Dejan Kulusevski
The best player of the campaign so far? There’s a case for it. Dejan Kulusevski brings something unique to Postecoglou’s side, and though he’s been fashioned into a central midfielder for the early matches of the year, Son’s injury could see him revert to his typical right-flanking role.
The £110k-per-week star is Tottenham’s lifeblood in attack. He works and works and works. Tireless. Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir is a big fan, summing up his importance: “Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart.”
9 AM – James Maddison
James Maddison has endured a challenging 2024, but he’s started the current campaign with conviction and was virtually unplayable as the Lilywhites defeated Brentford in the Premier League last weekend.
Ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, he could be the catalyst tomorrow.
10 LW – Brennan Johnson
With Son probably set to start from the bench – having been dubbed a doubt by Postecoglou – Brennan Johnson will be tasked with performing on the left wing. The Wales international came under fire for his early-season performances but has responded emphatically, scoring in each of his last three matches.