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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his rejuvenated Manchester United team will need to beat Tottenham at their home — er, Wembley — if they want to continue to put pressure on the top 4, and extend their winning streak to 6 in all competitions. United managed to beat Reading 2-0 at Old Trafford playing mostly their reserves, but questions were raised about United’s lackluster performance against a side that currently sits 23rd in the Championship. The squad now have gone to Dubai for some warm weather training and recuperation following the tight holiday schedule.
This match is vital to the Red Devils’ top 4 aspirations. They’ve managed to cut the gap between Arsenal and Chelsea, but they can’t afford to drop more points against top opponents. United will face Brighton, Burnley, Leicester City, and Fulham in the next four matches after Spurs, meaning that there is a very real possibility of obtaining 27 out of 27 possible points from 9 league matches under Solskjaer should they earn all 3 on Sunday.
Let us see your predictions for this key fixture in the polls and in the comments!
Tactics
Solskjaer’s lineups and formations haven’t been too far off from José Mourinho’s selections, but of course the major change has been the tactical approach to each match. United have been pressing far higher up the pitch, and creative threats such as Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford have been given the freedom to run the offense as they see fit.
The Reds will surely spend a bit more time defending than attacking against Spurs than they did against Bournemouth and Newcastle, but there is still the expectation that United will go at their opponents regardless of quality while under Solskjaer’s orders.
What do you expect to see at Wembley on Sunday?
Poll
What do you expect from Manchester United tactically vs. Spurs?
This poll is closed
-
60%
High pressure when dispossessed, high percentage of possession and pressing for goals
(98 votes) -
19%
Absorb pressure on defense, low percentage of possession and counterattack/pressure from behind for goals
(31 votes) -
20%
Adapt to Spurs’ approach, pressure for the win in the second half
(33 votes) -
0%
Other (Comment)
(1 vote)
Defense
With Eric Bailly suspended for one more game, it’s looking like Victor Lindelöf and Phil Jones will once again be the centre back pairing for the Spurs match. The full back situation is a bit more up in the air. Antonio Valencia has made his return to the squad, but is clearly not the player he used to be. The United captain had a rough outing against Newcastle, and with Diogo Dalot impressing in his most recent performances there could be a permanent changing of the guard in the starting 11 at right back.
Who should start along the back line against Spurs?
Poll
Who should start in defense at Spurs?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Shaw, Jones, Lindelof, Valencia
(37 votes) -
32%
Shaw, Jones, Lindelof, Dalot
(72 votes) -
4%
Young, Jones, Lindelof, Dalot
(9 votes) -
46%
Shaw, Jones, Lindelof, Young
(105 votes) -
0%
Other (Comment)
(2 votes)
Midfield
Manchester United’s midfield has remained largely unchanged transitioning from Mourinho to Solskjaer, but the way the midfielders are utilized has certainly been adjusted. Paul Pogba has played as a no. 10 behind the forwards, Nemanja Matić has acted as the guard between attack and defense, and Ander Herrera has found his way across both areas of the pitch, providing support in possession and the creation of chances. However, talents like Juan Mata and Fred have also seen some playing time under Solskjaer, and have been effective in creating chances in possession. Should Ole shake things up on Sunday?
Poll
Which midfielder should break into the lineup against Spurs?
This poll is closed
-
5%
Fred
(12 votes) -
2%
Andreas Pereira
(5 votes) -
8%
Juan Mata
(19 votes) -
2%
Marouane Fellaini
(5 votes) -
0%
Scott McTominay
(1 vote) -
81%
None (Keep Matic, Herrera, Pogba)
(189 votes)
Attack
Manchester United’s forward lineup of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, and Paul Pogba have not been able to stop scoring under Solskjaer. Rashford in particular has really improved in the final third, and Pogba’s creativity at no. 10 has kept the wheels turning. The entire front line has looked dangerous, and the addition of Alexis Sánchez and Romelu Lukaku has given Solskjaer some top options off the bench. Should the lineup remain what it was for the 4 Premier League games, or should Ole change things up against Spurs?
Poll
Who should start in attack at Spurs?
This poll is closed
-
56%
Martial-Rashford-Lingard
(133 votes) -
19%
Martial-Lukaku-Rashford
(46 votes) -
17%
Martial-Rashford-Alexis
(41 votes) -
4%
Alexis-Lukaku-Rashford
(11 votes) -
1%
Other (Comment)
(4 votes)
Match Prediction
Finally, give your prediction for Tottenham vs. Manchester United! Vote your predicted result below, and give us your scoreline in the comments!
Poll
Predict the result for Spurs vs. Man United
This poll is closed
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12%
Big United win
(31 votes) -
56%
Close United win
(145 votes) -
14%
Draw
(37 votes) -
13%
Close Spurs win
(36 votes) -
3%
Big Spurs win
(9 votes)