Manchester United vs Tottenham: Expect a Tight and Feisty Stalemate at Old Trafford

When Manchester United and Tottenham go head to head in Premier League action, there tends to be no shortage of action, commitment and, above all else, goals. This time around, we expect a lot of huff and puff at Old Trafford and plenty of attacking intent, but in the end, a very likely stalemate that does little to help either side’s ambitions for 2022/23.

Antonio Conte’s side travels to United with their best-ever Premier League start under their belts. Ten games have yielded 23 points, and in any other campaign that might see them sitting pretty at the top of the table, but as it stands, they sit behind Manchester City and, perhaps most galling of all, North London rivals Arsenal.

The Italian coach secured a strong finish for Spurs last season, earning them a much-coveted top-four spot and many Premier League betting enthusiasts will have expected Conte to continue pushing the club onwards and upwards, and so far, so good.

Dutch Courage

Erik ten Hag has had a baptism of fire as Man United boss, and their opening two games resulted in shocking losses to Brighton and Brentford, but the former Ajax manager has managed to turn things around and hasn’t been afraid to make brave decisions on the way.

These have involved benching both captain Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo for long periods, and all in all, things are much steadier at Old Trafford.

United have won eight, drawn one and lost two of their last eleven games, and one of those two defeats came in the form of defeat against high-flying arch-rivals Man City (albeit in the form of a real drubbing).

Attempts to get back into the top four are moving in the right direction, and that’s why the visit of an in-form Tottenham may be one that Ten Hag believes he can emerge with a point or three.

In the final third, Marcus Rashford has shown glimpses of his former self, and new signing Antony has been pretty effective. Defensively ten Hag has decided to stick with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as his centre-back pairing, and it’s meant Maguire is having to get his action on Europa League duty.

On their own patch Man United do struggle to score, managing just six goals in four Premier League matches at Old Trafford. Indeed their overall tally of 13 goals from ten games is something Erik ten Hag will be looking to address, but no doubt he felt the need to shore up the back-line, especially after their disastrous 4-0 defeat at Brentford, as the biggest priority.

Motoring Along Nicely

Aside from their off-colour display at the Emirates Stadium, it would be fair to say that Tottenham haven’t really put a foot wrong this season. Conte has been able to rely upon a nucleus of players week in, week out, and that consistency of selection has certainly aided their progress.

Some of Conte’s new signings haven’t really been used all that much, with Richarlison to just four Premier League starts and Yves Bissouma even less prevalent, and that’s a sign that the club are continuing to show the same reliable form that helped them get back into the top four last season, although it’s worth noting veteran Ivan Perisic has been very useful when used.

Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Pierre Hojbjerg and Harry Kane are ever-presents, and there is a solidity at the back that should stand them in good stead going to Man United.

Past Meetings

Some of the greatest matches of the Premier League era have involved these two teams, with the famous 5-3 win for Man United at White Hart Lane in 2001 being perhaps the most well-known. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side came from 3-0 down to win an enthralling encounter.

Last season Man United won both clashes. At home, Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick to secure a 3-2 victory and away, the veteran forward scored again as they ran out 3-0 winners.

In recent years, Tottenham have fared okay when travelling to Old Trafford, with their 6-1 win in 2020 being a particularly memorable occasion.

Best Bets

With BoyleSports, you can grab a healthy 12/1 on a treble of the draw, Harry Kane to score, and there being over 2.5 goals, which is a series of bets that could easily come to pass. If you fancy Man United, then a 19/5 bet from Grosvenor Sports will combine the home side to win and Tottenham to fail to score.

How about a first goalscorer bet? Pierre Emile Hojbjerg has already scored three Premier League goals this season, so the 20/1 from BoyleSports on the Danish international netting might be worth chasing.

Manchester United vs Tottenham: Odds & Betting Tips