Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Outdated Trafford within the Premier League on Sunday. The 2 sides discover themselves in comparable circumstances: Each are in mid-table after 5 video games, and each have rebounded since defeats to their greatest rivals.
Whereas it might be too early to pay an excessive amount of consideration to the league desk, a win on this conflict between two of the league’s conventional “prime six” might be simply the catalyst they want.
This is every little thing it’s good to know, together with crew information, stats, fantasy ideas and the most recent information:
Key particulars:
Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 at 4.30 p.m. BST (11.30 a.m. ET)
Venue: Outdated Trafford
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
VAR: Peter Bankes
Learn how to watch:
The sport might be proven stay on Sky Sports activities within the UK and NBC Sports activities in the USA. You too can comply with alongside stay with ESPN’s stay updates.
Group information:
All of United’s accidents come of their line of defense, most notably summer time signing Leny Yoro and first-choice left-back Luke Shaw. Yoro is but to make his aggressive debut for United after suffering a foot injury in a preseason pleasant towards Arsenal in Los Angeles. He’s not anticipated to return earlier than October.
Shaw, who’s suffering from a calf problem, has the same timeline related along with his return. “The plan is simply to be again earlier than [the October international break] however I am unable to say this 100% for positive.” Ten Hag mentioned on Tuesday. “It can be shortly after the break.” United are additionally with out Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelöf.
In the meantime, Spurs can nearly boast a clear invoice of well being, with Richarlison and Wilson Odobert their solely absentees. Nonetheless, Postecoglou mentioned earlier this month that the Brazil ahead shouldn’t be attributable to return for some time but.
“He’s a good method off. I believe you need to cease asking me about him till I provide you with [reporters] a little bit of an replace,” he mentioned. “He has nonetheless not educated with the primary crew so he’s nonetheless a bit off.”
Fantasy watch:
Fantasy is all about differentials: In case you have the identical crew as your league rivals, then how are you going to anticipate to climb the leaderboard? Following that mantra this weekend might result in a switch for Matthijs de Ligt.
The Netherlands worldwide is priced at £5 million and owned by simply 4.6% of fantasy managers. Nonetheless, he might show an X-factor ought to he proceed to supply an attacking menace from set items.
De Ligt scored his first United purpose with a guided header towards Southampton, and he nearly repeated the trick towards Crystal Palace final weekend, solely to see his try saved by the ft of opposing goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Regardless of all of the discuss their report defending set items, Spurs haven’t proved too inclined from them this season — though the one purpose they’ve conceded was an important header from Gabriel Magalhães‘ within the north London derby. Nonetheless, De Ligt might show a worthwhile addition if he can grow to be a constant drive within the opposition field.
Stats:
Stats to comply with from ESPN’s Stats and Info Group.
Premier League Kind information:
Manchester United – WLLWD
United have struggled to get off to the type of quick begin that Ten Hag would have been hoping for this season. A late Joshua Zirkzee winner on the opening day towards Fulham was adopted up by defeats to Brighton and Liverpool. They regarded to have righted the ship since then with a snug 3-0 victory over Southampton adopted up by an much more emphatic 7-0 win over Barnsley within the Carabao Cup.
Nonetheless, United had been wasteful final weekend within the 0-0 draw towards Palace, leaving them with simply seven factors from their first 5 video games. A 1-1 draw with FC Twente within the Europa League on Wednesday could have finished little to enthuse followers forward of the weekend.
0:53
Ten Hag: Rashford hypothesis is loopy
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag hits again at “loopy” pundits’ hypothesis round Marcus Rashford being dropped from the crew forward of the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
Tottenham – DWLLW
Postecoglou’s aspect have endured an equally tumultuous Premier League marketing campaign, with an equivalent report (two wins from 5 video games). After a draw away at Leicester City and a 4-0 win over Everton, Spurs suffered a tough couple of video games. First, they fell 2-1 to a irritating Newcastle United earlier than losing 1-0 at dwelling to their north London rivals, Arsenal.
Spurs set the report straight final weekend in an entertaining 3-1 win over Brentford, however a visit to Outdated Trafford represents a chance to proceed to climb up the Premier League desk on the expense of one in all their rivals for Champions League qualification.
Quotes:
Supervisor quotes might be added from their Friday information conferences.
Key participant battle: James Maddison vs. Manuel Ugarte
For a lot of the previous 18 months, United have lacked management and physicality in midfield as Casemiro‘s ailing legs failed him. That prompted the membership to add defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte, recognized for his ball-winning capability, from Paris Saint-Germain in the summertime.
Ugarte is but to begin a match within the Premier League — he has as a substitute appeared from the bench of their previous two league video games, though he did begin within the 7-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley. That first look within the beginning XI might come towards Spurs, and it might be much-needed with James Maddison seemingly returning to the eye-catching kind he confirmed at the start of final season.
Maddison delivered an excellent efficiency towards Brentford final day out within the Premier League, offering an help for Dominic Solanke earlier than scoring Spurs’ third with a pleasant chip over goalkeeper Mark Flekken. It will likely be as much as Ugarte to cease the Spurs midfielder and permit Mainoo to dictate the tempo for United in midfield.
Key questions:
Will Marcus Rashford begin?
There was a way of confusion at Selhurst Park when the crew sheets had been handed round at United’s conflict with Crystal Palace, with Marcus Rashford dropped to the bench regardless of breaking his months-long purpose drought towards Southampton.
For a lot his tenure, Ten Hag had repeatedly backed Rashford. So, when he lastly did return to kind — he adopted by scoring two objectives within the win towards Barnsley — it was unusual to see him not among the many starters. Ten Hag insisted earlier than and after the sport that it was solely all the way down to “rotation,” though the choice seemingly backfired given United’s wasteful nature within the goalless draw at Selhurst Park.
Following that reasoning, it appears possible that Rashford will return to United’s beginning lineup for the conflict with Spurs.
Are Tottenham higher that they appear?
Regardless of Spurs’ stuttering begin to the brand new Premier League season, a look on the stats tells a distinct story.
Postecoglou’s aspect have carried out surprisingly properly in a number of key metrics: The north London membership rank second — behind Manchester City — for variety of photographs (86), photographs on the right track (35), common possession (63.2%), most passes into the opposing crew’s penalty space (97), touches within the opposition’s field (235) and touches within the attacking third (1,359). On the different finish of the pitch, they’ve allowed the second fewest photographs on their purpose (39) — once more, bested solely by Guardiola’s aspect.
They’ve struggled to persistently translate that statistical dominance into Premier League factors to this point this season, however Spurs might be hoping to appropriate that at Outdated Trafford.
Newest information:
Ref right not to show red to Martínez, panel says
The Premier League’s Unbiased Key Match Incidents Panel unanimously backed the choice to not present a crimson card to Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez within the draw at Crystal Palace.
Man United share 1st images of stadium regen plans
United have revealed the primary photos of the potential Outdated Trafford regeneration undertaking.
ESPN reported final month that United are leaning in direction of constructing a brand new 100,000-capacity stadium slightly than redeveloping Outdated Trafford, though a closing resolution has not been made.
Johnson praised by Postecoglou after ‘top week’
Ange Postecoglou praised Brennan Johnson‘s capability to bounce again from the net abuse that he has obtained because the winger scored the successful purpose in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Brentford.
“He was an actual menace throughout,” Postecoglou mentioned. “He had a little bit of a troublesome interval final week. However generally it provides you perspective about what’s vital and what’s vital to Brennan is that he is a much-loved teammate.”
