Manchester United vs Tottenham Prediction: Premier League Match Preview

Having fallen short last term, both Manchester United and Tottenham started the 2024-25 season with Champions League qualification as their primary aim. However, five games in, neither side has stood out as a team to beat in the race for a top-four finish.

With just seven points apiece, United and Spurs sit 11th and 10th, respectively, in the early season standings ahead of Matchday 6.

Both Erik ten Hag and Ange Postecoglou have come under pressure already this season, and should either suffer defeat on Sunday, the criticism will only be amplified.

United’s familiar failings in the final third proved costly on Matchday 5 as they were held to a goalless draw at Crystal Palace. Ten Hag’s men dominated for long periods but could not make the breakthrough, failing to take any of their five big chances and seeing their former goalkeeper Dean Henderson make seven saves for Palace to keep them at bay.

A hamstring injury has limited Rasmus Højlund’s playing time this season, but he has featured in each of their games in the past week as a substitute, meaning a first start of the campaign could be close.

New arrival Joshua Zirkzee led the line at Palace but didn’t have much impact, only attempting one shot and managing three touches in the box. Nevertheless, Zirkzee has amassed more xG than any other United player this season, despite only starting three of their five league matches.

Ten Hag’s decision to rest Marcus Rashford for that match, just days after declaring the forward was getting back to his best, gave rise to rumours of a rift between the duo, which the Dutchman later described as “crazy”. Rashford appears likely to return to the lineup on Sunday after looking sharp against Twente in the Europa League on Thursday. He’s also scored six previous Premier League goals against Spurs – only against Leicester City (eight) has he netted more.

Postecoglou’s team, meanwhile, responded to back-to-back league defeats with a much-needed 3-1 victory over Brentford last week. Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison netted after Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring within 23 seconds.

Since the start of last season, only Man City (31) have gained more points from losing positions in the Premier League than Spurs’ 28.

It is just as well that Postecoglou’s men showed their powers of recovery in that game, with rumblings of discontent starting to emerge in the early weeks of the season – they also needed two late goals to beat Coventry City in the EFL Cup just three days earlier. Thursday’s Europa League win against Qarabag also came after they’d dropped to 10 men.

Postecoglou has warned there is no “quick fix” to make Tottenham competitive at the top end of the league, but improving their dismal away form would be a good place to start.

They took 14 points from their first six away Premier League games under Postecoglou (four wins, two draws), only to manage just 14 from their next 15 on the road (three wins, five draws, seven defeats).

Among ever-present Premier League teams across the last two seasons, no side has won fewer away games since the start of November 2023 than Spurs (3), with Bournemouth (24), Nottingham Forest (19) and Crystal Palace (15) among the clubs to better their 14 away points won in that span, a figure that puts them level with Everton.

If they are to land a blow at the Theatre of Dreams, captain Son Heung-min will be key, having had a hand in five goals in his last seven league appearances against United, scoring four and assisting one.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Head-to-Head

United have won 24 Premier League home games against Tottenham – only Arsenal have beaten an opponent more often in the competition’s history (25 versus Everton).

Spurs are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against the Red Devils, though, winning one and drawing two after losing four straight against them between 2021 and 2022.

Postecoglou’s team twice fought back to recover a 2-2 draw when they last visited Old Trafford in January, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison cancelling out goals from Højlund and Rashford.

However, United have not lost at home to Spurs since Ole Gunnar Solskjær oversaw a dismal 6-1 defeat in October 2020, winning two and drawing one of their three home matches against them under Ten Hag.

PREDICTION: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.38

Newcastle United vs Manchester City: OVER 2.5 @1.48

Arsenal vs Leicester City: HOME WIN @1.20

Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion: 1 DNB @1.34

Wolverhampton vs Liverpool: AWAY WIN @1.37

SPANISH LALIGA: 

Osasuna vs Barcelona: AWAY WIN @1.47

Athletic Club vs Sevilla: UNDER 3.5 @1.30

Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid: OVER 1.5 @1.22

SERIE A:

Udinese vs Inter: OVER 1.5 @1.23

Genoa vs Juventus: 2 DNB @1.23

AS Roma vs Venezia: HOME WIN @1.42

Napoli vs Monza: HOME WIN @1.37

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA: 

RB Leipzig vs FC Augsburg: HOME WIN @1.40

VfL Wolfsburg - VfB Stuttgart: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.43

FC Bayern München vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen: OVER 2.5 @1.30