Arguably, the top two disappointments of this season in the Premier League collide as Tottenham welcomes Manchester United. Home manager Ange Postecoglou may be facing a crucial match to secure his position, following recent eliminations from the FA Cup and EFL Cup. A seven-game winless streak at home in the Premier League, the worst since 2008, does little to boost confidence in a potential turnaround.
Having had their first midweek break since the beginning of 2025, the injury-plagued Spurs squad had a chance to rest. They are now aiming for their second consecutive league victory this season after defeating Brentford. Notably, they previously achieved this feat by overcoming Brentford and Manchester United in reverse fixtures, with a recent EFL Cup victory over United as well.
No other team has managed to defeat the Red Devils thrice in a single season since Chelsea in 2012/13, and Tottenham last achieved this feat in 1989/90, marking the last time they secured victories against Manchester United. Though Ruben Amorim’s position is not as precarious as his counterpart’s, he also urgently requires positive outcomes to revive his team’s disappointing season. A loss in this match could result in Spurs overtaking them in the lower half of the league standings.
Since Amorim assumed leadership, only five teams have earned fewer Premier League points than United’s 14. With reports of impending staff cuts at Old Trafford, their struggles in 2025 seem unending. A glimmer of hope may lie in their away performances, having won three consecutive matches in various competitions.
Key players to monitor: Dejan Kulusevski from Spurs has the potential to stand out, having found the net in both prior head-to-head encounters this season. Alejandro Garnacho made a significant impact coming off the bench during the FA Cup match against Leicester (resulting in a 2-1 victory), yet he has not scored in his last 17 games across various competitions!
Form slump: Manchester United has allowed two or more goals in each of their past four Premier League clashes.
