United maintained their winning momentum against Newcastle on Boxing Day, with a 3-1 win over The Magpies. A Wayne Rooney brace and a van Persie header granted the home team the three points, meaning United have collected 22 points out of the last 24 that have been available to them. Tomorrow’s game is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane to lock horns with the London club.
Louis van Gaal’s squad will go into this game as firm favourites, despite not having the home advantage. This is due to United’s recently impressive form which has left them sitting in the top 3. Angel di Maria may miss the game due to a pelvic injury, and Fellaini will be left out of the squad after suffering from a broken rib. However, Ander Herrera and Adnan Januzaj could feature alongside Michael Carrick to give necessary supply to United’s attackers. Recently, the standout player for United has been Wayne Rooney, and his inclusion in the squad would almost certainly be a catalyst for success. However, Spurs won’t roll over and take an easy beating on their home turf.
At White Hart Lane, Spurs have defeated United 26 times in comparison to United’s 25 victories there. The sides have also drawn 27 times at WHL, so the game is set to be a tight affair according to these statistics. In United’s last two visits to Spurs, both have resulted in draws, but Tottenham did defeat United last season at Old Trafford during a dreadful season under David Moyes. But this game should be different, as Louis van Gaal has breathed life into what was a bleak United outfit, and they finally look like a strong opposition to face. Having only lost one game in the past three months, momentum and confidence aren’t things that the Red Devils lack at the moment. Despite this, United’s away form hasn’t been too impressive so a victory would have to be battled for.
For the home side, two players to keep an eye on are Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen. Kane is in fine scoring form, and has netted 14 times for Spurs in all competitions this season. Eriksen has also scored 7 goals in the Premier League this season, making him the top scorer from a midfield position. Twinned with United’s recently shaky defensive displays, Tottenham could cause some serious damage.
The game itself is tough to call, as the head-to-head statistics are incredibly even and both teams have players that can win a game single-handedly. Despite the unpredictable nature of the fixture, it should provide excellent viewing for all football fans that tune into the game. A win for van Gaal’s side would make it 8 wins from the past 9 games and reserve their 3rd placed position until the game against Stoke on New Years’ Day. However, a win for the home side would catapult them up to 4th depending on the results of other games, and leave them a mere two points behind Manchester United themselves.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Manchester United
