Preview & Prediction: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

In a Premier League showdown, Manchester United faces off against Tottenham Hotspur, both teams seeking vital points in Game Week 21. Manchester United are the slim favourites, with odds of 2.22. On January 14, 2024, the teams cross swords, the previous match having ended in Manchester United’s favour, 1-0.

Over their last several seasons, these footballing powers have clashed 36 times. Manchester United claimed victory in 20 of those encounters, Tottenham Hotspur in 8, while the teams split the points in 8 matches. Current form sees Manchester United performing averagely at home, while Tottenham Hotspur boast an impressive away record.

Historical engagements between the two have averaged 2.75 goals per match, with both teams scoring (BTTS) 50% of the time. Over the current Premier League season, Manchester United have averaged 1.8 points per home game, mirrored by Tottenham accruing 1.8 points on average in away fixtures.

Recent trends suggest a worrying goal drought for Manchester United, having only scored four times in the previous five games and failing to score in three out of five. It’s unclear whether the manager will alter his strategy or introduce another striker. Both teams have only scored in 2 of the last 5 games, with Manchester United winning one. So far, Manchester United matches have seen both teams scoring (BTTS) in 8 out of 20 games.

Comparatively, Tottenham Hotspur enter the game in fine form, with 12 points secured from the last five games, averaging 2.4 points per game. In an interesting stat, both teams have scored in four out of the last five Tottenham Hotspur encouters. The team boasts 13 goals scored in their last five matches. Consistently successful on the road, Tottenham Hotspur have netted in their last ten away fixtures. Their last 12 games have all ended with two or more goals being scored. Their track record this season has seen a BTTS outcome in 15 matches, or 75% of games. With Tottenham scoring in their last 20 games and tallying 13 in the last five, they will likely find the net against Manchester United. Tonight, Tottenham will strive to maintain momentum, having only lost once in their last five outings.

Key Insights:

– Manchester United has been underperforming recently, with an average of only 0.8 points per game from the last 5 games.
– Scoring is a problem for Manchester United as the squad has scored only 4 times in these 5 games and failed to score in 3 of them.
– Only 2 of the last 5 games for Manchester United has ended with both teams scoring, making it a low probability event.
– Tottenham Hotspur has a strong performance with an average of 2.4 points per game from the last 5 games.
– Scoring has been consistent for Tottenham Hotspur with 13 goals in the last 5 games and scoring in the last 10 games away from home.
– Tottenham has a high probability of scoring in the game, as reflected in the fact that 75% of all their games this season saw BTTS landing.
– Tottenham Hotspur is in good form, losing only 1 game out of the last 5 matches.
– Previous encounters between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur average 2.75 goals per game, with BTTS landing 50% of the time.
– Despite home advantage, Manchester United is in average form, while Tottenham Hotspur performs well away.
– Both teams average 1.8 points per game this season, but current forms suggest a more favorable outcome for Tottenham.
– The odds favor Manchester United slightly at 2.22, but given their recent track record, a Tottenham upset could be likely.
– Manchester United have historically been dominant, with 20 wins out of 36 meetings, but current form may play a more significant role in the outcome.

Match Forecast:

– The match will likely see Tottenham attacking down the wings and attempting through balls as it aligns with their strengths and Manchester United’s weakness of defending counter attacks.
– Due to Tottenham’s weak aerial duels, Manchester United could take advantage of this while attacking down the left.
– Manchester United struggling with finishing scoring chances could result in Tottenham stealing the ball often, leveraging their strengths in this area.
– Both teams have weakness in defending set pieces, so it’s probable that both sides will aim to exploit this.
– Given that Manchester United is very strong with protecting the lead, if they score first they may switch to a more defensive playstyle.
– Tottenham’s weak protection of the lead could lead to Manchester United coming back if they fall behind early.
– Offside could become a significant factor in the game as both teams are weak at avoiding offside.
– Both teams’ weaknesses in stopping opponents from creating chances means the game could be very open and offensive, with both sides creating several scoring opportunities.
– Tottenham’s aggressive and consistent first eleven playstyle could pose a challenge to Manchester United’s strategy of controlling the game in the opposition half.

Match Facts:

– When Manchester United hosts Tottenham Hotspur, the most frequent result recorded is 1-0, with 7 matches ending that way.
– Overall, the most usual outcome for matches between the two clubs is 1-0, with 11 matches recording this score.
– Looking at the latest 33 meetings played at Old Trafford, Manchester United has celebrated victory 26 times while Tottenham has only won 4 times, and there have been 3 stalemates. The goal tally reads 62-26 in Manchester United’s favour.
– Across all 67 fixtures, Manchester United has clinched 43 victories compared to Tottenham’s 11, with 13 matches ending in a draw. The goals scored numbers show Manchester United lead with 114 against Tottenham’s 65.
– The previous season’s games had results of 2-0 (at Old Trafford) and 2-2 (at Tottenham’s home ground).
– Manchester United reportedly net 36% of their goals in the last 15 minutes of the game.
– In a similar vein, Tottenham Hotspur is found to score 21% of their goals within the last quarter of an hour of play.
– Tottenham Hotspur tops the Premier League this season with 4 players getting red-carded.
– Manchester United has drawn blanks in 3 out of their 10 Premier League home games this season.
– Tottenham Hotspur has managed to get on the score sheet in all their away games this season.
– Currently, Manchester United’s home record stands at 6 wins, 0 draws, and 4 losses.
– Manchester United’s top scorer is Scott McTominay with 5 goals, while Son Heung-min leads scoring for Spurs with 12 goals.
– Bruno Fernandes has contributed the most assists for Manchester United with 3, whereas Pedro Porro leads Tottenham Hotspur in assists with 6.
– A marked change can be seen in Manchester United’s performance when comparing points from the previous year (4th in the table with 40 points) to the current year (8th in the table with 31 points).
– Tottenham Hotspur has a remarkable streak of scoring in 38 consecutive games.
– Manchester United takes the lead in 28% of their first halves, while Tottenham achieves this in 36% of theirs.
– Tottenham Hotspur emerged victorious in the previous fixture.
– The last game saw Tottenham defy the odds by a margin of 2 goals.
– Manchester United manages to retain the lead in 85% of their home games that have started with a 1-0 lead in their favour.
– On the away side, Tottenham Hotspur triumphs in half of their matches where they’ve taken a 0-1 lead.
– Conversely, Manchester United turns around 47% of their games where they have been 0-1 down at home.
– On a similar note, Tottenham only manages to win 16% of their matches in which they’ve trailed 1-0 on the road.
– Tottenham Hotspur has outperformed Manchester United in the Premier League.
– Tottenham Hotspur’s recent form (in last 5 matches) has been superior to that of Manchester United’s.
– Manchester United has only been defeated once in their previous 5 games against Tottenham Hotspur (in all competitions).
– Out of the last 5 meetings between both teams, Manchester United won 3, Tottenham 1, with 1 game ending in a draw.
– Manchester United lost only one out their last 5 Premier League clashes against Tottenham.
– Tottenham Hotspur only has 1 victory out of their last 5 Premier League outings against Manchester United.
– On average, Manchester United net 2 goals per match against Tottenham Hotspur, versus Spurs’ average of 1.2 goals against Manchester United.
– The average number of goals seen in a clash between the two clubs is 3.2.
– But the average number of goals scored in just the first halves of meetings between these two heavyweights is 1.2.
– When considering average goals scored on their home or away turfs, Manchester United bags 1.77 goals at home, whereas Tottenham manages to score 1.92 goals while away.
– In their last games, both teams managed to keep a clean sheet.