Rangnick’s United fight downward trend
The most notable clash of the upcoming Premier League weekend goes down at the Theatre of Dreams. Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils welcome Antonio Conte’s Spurs. The importance of this encounter cannot be understated, as the two clubs are currently separated by only two points. However, the Londoners still have two games in hand, so that they can take a big step towards staying ahead of United in the standings after 38 match days.
Looking at the odds ahead of the eagerly awaited top match between Manchester United and Tottenham, which kicks off on Saturday evening from 18:30 (live on Sky), it is clear that the bookmakers are putting the home side in the favourites’ role. This is an ambitious assessment, as CR7 and Co. have only won two of their last six league games. Moreover, there is certainly some focus on next Tuesday’s Champions League eighth-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
Apart from that, the Lily Whites have been able to get some frustration off their chest lately and have gained a lot of self-confidence by winning two matches. Combine that with the fact that the capital club have enjoyed travelling to Old Trafford as a visiting side in the recent past, and it’s worth taking a closer look at a prediction on the supposed underdog ahead of the Manchester United v Tottenham game too.
Manchester United – Statistics & current form
The city derby at the Citizens last weekend underlined how far Manchester United really are from being an absolute top team in England. The Red Devils went down 1:4 to Manchester City and, especially in the second half, made a sporting disaster of themselves. The headwind that the team and coaching staff are now facing at Old Trafford is increasing and can hardly be explained away.
If United miss out on their goal of qualifying for the Champions League in the Premier League and are eliminated from this year’s top flight against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, the season as a whole would have to be considered a fiasco. There is simply a lack of consistency, penetrating power and ideas in the offensive game.
ManUtd does not act like a top team
This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that United have only managed to score more than one goal in two of their past seven matches at league level. Only two of the last six matches have also been victorious in the Premier League. The last home game against Watford was an embarrassing 0-0 draw. In total, only half of the 14 matches played in front of a home crowd at Old Trafford have been victorious. As a result, we would tend to refrain from betting on a three-goal win for the home side between Manchester United and Tottenham.
Another aspect that must be kept in mind is the aforementioned second leg on Tuesday evening against the reigning Spanish champions Atletico, which will certainly be on some people’s minds.
Apart from that, Rangnick’s team has failed to score in the current season, especially against their direct neighbours in the Premier League. Only Arsenal and Tottenham were defeated in the first leg. We therefore do not believe that the fifth-placed team in the table has a qualitative advantage over Spurs!
It is not yet clear whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be available in time for this important match. The Portuguese world footballer is injured and could only train individually during the week. His absence would be a bitter blow for the home side, as he has been involved in seven goals in his last five Premier League matches against Spurs. Luke Shaw and Edinson Cavani are also still question marks.
Predicted Manchester United line-up:
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles; Pogba, McTominay; Sancho, Fernandes, Elanga; Rashford
Last matches played by Manchester United:
Premier League
03/06 2022 – Manchester City 4 – 1 Manchester United
02/26 2022 – Manchester United 0 – 0 Watford
Champions League Final
02/23 2022 – Atletico Madrid 1 – 1 Manchester United
Premier League
02/20 2022 – Leeds 2 – 4 Manchester United
02/15 2022 – Manchester United 2 – 0 Brighton
Tottenham – Statistics & current form
Not only Manchester United, but also Tottenham Hotspur Football Club can only be satisfied to a certain extent with their season so far. Time and again, the North Londoners have had phases in which they were unable to put their undoubted horsepower on the pitch. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that Spurs still have every chance of qualifying for the 2021/22 Champions League. In the public perception, therefore, Conte’s eleven may even come off too badly.
Although only seventh in the standings at the moment, Tottenham could move very close to city rivals Arsenal, who currently occupy fourth place, if they win two of their two remaining games. Should a prediction of an away win between Manchester United and Tottenham pay off as early as Saturday, the capital club would overtake the Red Devils in the standings.
Harry Kane wants to set a new PL record
Hopeful in this regard are the recent two performances in the league. First, Leeds were beaten 4-0, followed by a 5-0 home win over Everton last Monday. For the first time since February 2004, the Lily Whites could now score four or more goals in three successive Premier League games, although that seems highly unlikely given United’s solid defence.
On the positive side, Antonio Conte’s side won at Manchester City a few weeks ago and have a relatively decent record of six wins from 13 away games. The Italian coach’s personal record against the upcoming opponents is also impressive, with four of the previous six inter-competition duels against United won by Coach Conte.
In terms of personnel, the former Chelsea coach will have to do without the injured Tanganga and Skipp. Ryan Sessegnon is also expected to be unavailable and will be replaced by Reguilon. However, the most important thing is that Harry Kane will be able to play. The national team captain has been involved in five goals in his last three PL away games at Old Trafford and could also set a new record on Saturday. The attacker currently has 93 away goals in the Premier League. There is only one more to go to equal Wayne Rooney’s record.
Predicted Tottenham line-up:
Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Reguilon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Last matches played by Tottenham:
Premier League
03/07 2022 – Tottenham 5 – 0 Everton
FA Cup
03/01 2022 – Middlesboro 1 – 0 Tottenham
Premier League
02/26 2022 – Leeds 0 – 4 Tottenham
02/23 2022 – Burnley 1 – 0 Tottenham
02/19 2022 – Manchester City 2 – 3 Tottenham
Manchester United – Tottenham Direct comparison / H2H record
For the first time in over ten years, Manchester United could win three consecutive Premier League games against Spurs. The task will be difficult, however, as two of the last three home games at league level were lost at Old Trafford against Tottenham. In the course of those three matches, the Londoners even scored a whopping ten goals, exactly as many as in the previous 19 guest appearances at the Theatre of Dreams.
Moreover, the Lily Whites still have something to make up from the first leg, which went surprisingly well to the Red Devils with 0:3. CR7, Cavani and Rashford were responsible for the deserved away win, although both teams had different coaches on the bench with Solskjaer and Espirito Santo.
Manchester United – Tottenham Tip
The starting line-up and the closeness of these two teams in the table promises a match of equals on Saturday night. Manchester United are favoured against Tottenham according to the odds, however, we believe that the likelihood of a home win does not outweigh the likelihood of the visitors picking up a point.
United have only won two of their last six games, have not always been convincing so far this season, especially against big-name clubs, and will probably have to do without Spurs’ Cristiano Ronaldo. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the all-important second leg of the CL round of 16 tie against Atletico is on the agenda on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the capitals are a club that can concentrate fully on their domestic duties, winning twice in a row 4-0 and 5-0 and also winning two of their last three matches at Old Trafford. Conte’s side are in reasonable form and brimming with confidence, especially in attack.
In our opinion, the best option between Manchester United and Tottenham is to bet on the double chance X2.
