Man Utd vs Spurs preview, predictions & confirmed line-ups as Greenwood starts in place of Martial
Jose Mourinho returns to Old Trafford nearly a year after his acrimonious sacking as Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur.
Under the Portuguese’s early guidance, Spurs have won three games on the spin, scoring 10 goals in the process, and will be looking to keep up that run when they travel up the M1 on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the pressure is really starting to crank up another gear on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as his Man Utd side are currently languishing ninth in the Premier League table and enter this contest without a win in three games.
Read on for Man Utd vs Spurs preview, predictions, team news, TV info and more.
When is Man Utd vs Spurs and where can I watch live?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford
Date: Wednesday, 4 December 2019
Kick-off: 7:30 PM (UK time)
TV coverage (UK): Amazon Prime Video
Last five meetings: Man Utd vs Spurs
13 January 2019: Spurs 0-1 Man Utd (Premier League)
27 August 2018: Man Utd 0-3 Spurs (Premier League)
21 April 2018: Man Utd 2-1 Spurs (FA Cup)
31 January 2018: Spurs 2-0 Man Utd (Premier League)
28 October 2017: Man Utd 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)
Aggregate Score: Man Utd (WLWLW) 4-6 Spurs (LWLWL)
Ones to watch
Man Utd: Marcus Rashford
The England forward has been in the form of his life these past few weeks and would have made it six games on the bounce in which he has found the back of the net if his original header went straight in against Aston Villa, rather than deflecting off Tom Heaton for an own goal.
The 22-year-old is currently on 10 goals for the season across all competitions and will be hoping to hit nearer to 30 come the end of the 2019/20 campaign – something Jose Mourinho has publicly doubted Rashford can achieve.
Key stat: Rashford is Man Utd‘s top goalscorer in the Premier League this season with seven goals to his name.
Spurs: Dele Alli
One player who has really come into his own under Mourinho is Dele Alli. The much-questioned midfielder looked a shadow of his former self under previous boss Mauricio Pochettino towards the latter stages of his tenure, but seems to have rediscovered his early-career form since Mourinho stepped into the equation.
Key stat: Dele Alli has been directly involved in four goals across his past three games for Spurs.
Team news
Man Utd
Solskjaer welcomes back Scott McTominay to his midfield for this match, but it has come too soon for Paul Pogba.
🚨Here's how #MUFC will line up for #MUNTOT 👇
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 4, 2019
Nemanja Matic, Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah have all returned to first-team training, but are severely lacking in match fitness, while Diogo Dalot, Marcos Rojo and Anthony Martial all sit this one out.
Confirmed XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Young; McTominay, Fred, Lingard; James, Rashford; Greenwood.
Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.
Spurs
Goalkeeper duo Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm remain out with the former not expected back until the New Year, so Paulo Gazzaniga keeps his place between the sticks.
📋 #THFC: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Winks, Sissoko, Dele, Son, Lucas, Kane (C).@WilliamHill latest (18+)https://t.co/XxDbADo1Y4#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/IS4G0yue2m
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 4, 2019
Elsewhere, Erik Lamela and Ben Davies remain sidelined with a thigh and ankle problem respectively.
Confirmed XI: Gazzaniga; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Sissoko, Winks; Lucas, Alli, Son; Kane.
Squawka prediction
Spurs have looked extremely threatening going forward under Mourinho, and so, against a defence as fragile as Man Utd‘s at this current time, they should continue their hot scoring streak.
And let’s face it, this is a man who loves to grab the headlines, and will be desperate to get a result against his former club. With his experience, the squad Spurs currently have and just his overall tactical nous, the north Londoners could grab a real statement win here.
Scoreline prediction: Man Utd 0-2 Spurs
