Premier League: Crunch Time for Both United and Spurs

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

The Premier League game between Manchester United and Tottenham Spurs is a clash between two top four hopefuls but neither are where they want to be at this moment in time.

Spurs come into the game on the back of a thumping 5-0 win over Everton while the Red Devils were humiliated in the Manchester derby. Both teams are trailing the in-form Arsenal, who currently hold the last available Champion League spot, and they each need a consistent uptick in form to take their place in next season’s premier European competition. 

The Premier League 2022 odds tell us this match could go any way. And let’s face it, a draw isn’t much good to either side.

Two points behind fifth-placed United and with two games in hand, Tottenham can leapfrog their hosts with a victory while a win could reignite United’s season.

Talking Points

What is inside the minds of Rangnick and Conte?

Managing in the Premier League is never easy, but Ralf Rangnick and Antonio Conte must be two of the more tormented bosses of the current 20. They arrived in the Premier League barely three weeks apart at each end of November with big reputations and expectations to turn around the fortunes of these two proud clubs.

But neither has had the success the clubs’ long-suffering fans had hoped for.   

For a Manchester United supporter, there is little worse than being toyed with by the Sky Blues. But before last week’s match, the Red Devils had lost just once in 20 matches in all competitions since the arrival of Rangnick.

But they have drawn too many and problems off the pitch seem to be finding their way onto the pitch as Rangnick’s tactical nous seems to be falling on deaf ears.  

Meanwhile, down in the capital city for the man who has built such a reputation there having won the Premier League title with Chelsea through his passion and fanatical attention to detail, he doesn’t seem able to find any consistency.

Spurs have gone win, lose, win, lose, win over the past five games and there have been some huge contrasts in performance.

Tottenham were sensational in beating league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad and simply swept Leeds and Everton away 4-0 and 5-0. However, in between those triumphs, Spurs managed to lose 1-0 to Burnley and were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Middlesbrough.        

Do the Red Devils have the stomach for a fight?

The way Manchester United surrendered in the derby last weekend was as pitiful as anything fans have seen in a long time. At 4-1, the Sky Blues could have scored at will while the United players just wandered around aimlessly.

How the Red Devils need a 100-per cent committed hard man such as the legendary Roy Keane. The Irish central midfielder won 17 trophies during his time at Manchester United and now as a UK pundit, he is venting his fury at the current batch of players saying that five or six players should never play for Manchester United again after the derby fiasco.   

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford was the hottest ticket in town and CR7 started as well as everyone at the club hoped. But as winter set in and Premier League 2022 results started to falter, the move seems to have gone a little sour.

Ronaldo clearly has the passion for the club he served so well a decade ago, but does he still have the will because he can’t do it all on his own?   

Is Kane back to his best?

He’s now up to 10 goals and Harry Kane seems to have his mojo back. During the first half of the campaign, the England skipper looked a shadow of his former self, seemingly distracted by the collapse of his planned summer move to Manchester City.

But against Everton and in the two previous wins, he has been simply sensational and that is great news for Tottenham fans and Conte.

His strike partner Heung-Min Son has 11 goals, while the January additions of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur could turn out to be a turning point for Kane and the club.

History

The Red Devils are struggling to nail down a top four place this term and will do well to finish above Tottenham, but they have had much the better of the head-to-heads with 42 wins to Spurs’ 10 in all competitions in the Premier League era.

United won 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season. But the last time the two teams met at Old Trafford, Spurs ran out 6-1 winners.   

Betting Tip

At a price of 2.04, the hosts are favourites to win this crucial clash, with Spurs at SBOTOP odds of 3.35 and the Draw at 3.25. This promises to be a fascinating matchup and clearly could go either way, but I believe the mood is better at Tottenham than it is at Manchester United and that could be the telling factor.

 

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