Tottenham vs Man Utd: Preview, predictions and lineups

The Premier League’s crisis clubs go head-to-head this Sunday when Manchester United visit Tottenham Hotspur.

Both sides find themselves under increasing pressure following hugely underwhelming and inconsistent campaigns, with just two points separating the sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Spurs have lost two games on the spin to end their hopes of winning a domestic cup competition this term but they did secure a hard-fought victory in their most recent Premier League outing. The 2-0 win at Brentford brought a seven-game winless run in the league to a much-needed conclusion.

United have been similarly hopeless in recent months but have won four of their last five in all competitions. None of those victories have been particularly convincing, however, with the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace during that run more indicative of their current state under Ruben Amorim.

Here is 90min’s guide to a tantalising affair.

Tottenham vs Man Utd head-to-head record (last five games)

Current form (all competitions)

Ange Postecoglou has endured rotten luck with injuries this season, to put it mildly, but the Australian has received positive updates on several players this week.

Guglielmo Vicario is available once more having undergone surgery in November and should replace Antonin Kinsky in the Tottenham goal. Elsewhere, James Maddison and Destiny Udogie have both returned to training and are likely to feature against United this weekend.

Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are also nearing their comebacks after returning to training but Sunday’s duel could come too soon for the pair. Wilson Odobert is slowly regaining his fitness but Spurs will be cautious with his recovery.

Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin are all still absent in defence, however, and Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are unavailable up top.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Man Utd (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence; Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Son, Tel.

Amorim has fitness issues in midfield after it was revealed that Kobbie Mainoo is set for several weeks on the sidelines, joining fellow engine room operator Mason Mount. Both Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer will also be assessed ahead of kick-off but are major doubts to feature.

Amad Diallo is also believed to have been struck down in training, with fears the winger could miss the remainder of the season.

United were without the services of Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton against Leicester City in last weekend’s FA Cup fourth round victory and it remains to be seen if either back-up goalkeeper will return to the bench on Sunday.

Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Lisandro Martinez were all absent in defence, too, with none of the trio returning for the trip to north London.

Man Utd predicted lineup vs Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Dorgu, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Zirkzee, Garnacho; Hojlund.

Well, where do we start with this one?

God knows how the battle of the Premier League’s underperformers will pan out but there is likely to be chaos and drama in north London. Both teams have enormous difficulties in their own defensive third while boasting talented individuals at the other end of the pitch capable of conjuring up some magic.

Duels between Spurs and United often result in plenty of goals – see the 4-3 Carabao Cup meeting earlier this term – and the hosts may be the side who shade proceedings. They welcome back some key personnel this weekend and have a higher ceiling on their day.

Either way, it’s likely to be a fun watch for the neutral.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-2 Man Utd

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