Manchester United vs Tottenham – Match Preview

The final fixture of the third Premier League programme takes us to Old Trafford on Monday evening as Manchester United play host to a high-flying Tottenham looking to extend their perfect start to the season.

Both clubs did not have the best of Summer’s when it comes do transfer activity, Manchester United failed to land a marquee name signing while Tottenham failed to land anyone at all. At the same time though the latter have made a better start to this campaign, something that has almost nullified their lack of transfer activity.

For United, their season has been pretty lacklustre so far. A relatively routine win over Leicester on the opening night of their campaign then saw them bought back down to earth last Sunday when they lost to Brighton at the AMEX.

While for Tottenham it has been maximum points as Mauricio Pochettino’s men have picked up wins over Newcastle and Fulham, wins that it is fair to say that they have had to work for after failing to keep a clean sheet in either.

Whether they have just been caught cold on two occasions or there is still some World Cup ring rust can be argued, but at least they have managed to go through the gears and grind out some early season victories.

Victories that have gone some way to placating their fans after the aforementioned quiet spell in the transfer market, while also not forgetting that any hopes of moving into their new stadium have been delayed for at least a couple of months.

Monday will no doubt be an important clash for these two clubs and although would have to say that on paper Tottenham have the stronger line up, but as fans should know by now football matches are not won on paper.

Quite simply you don’t know what United will turn up, it is fair to say that they were abject against Brighton last weekend, but they are more than capable of lighting up Old Trafford when it really matters.

Not only that but when Jose Mourinho has a point to prove and the siege mentality kicks in, is when United seem to get their best results under ‘The Special One’. So as always it is a case of writing off the Red Devils at your peril.

Last season the two teams split wins in the league while United won the rubber match of sorts after their success in the F.A. Cup Semi-final at Wembley. A game that Tottenham will probably be asking themselves how they did not come out on top.

Tottenham’s record against the ‘Big Six’ has been patchy under Mauricio Pochettino, but they will at least have gone some way to removing that hex after comfortably defeating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season.

Not only that Harry Kane has managed to rid his own personal hoodoo, as the curse of not being able to score in August has now been lifted after he scored the goal that wrapped up all three points against Fulham last weekend.

This a real opportunity for Tottenham to lay down a marker and show that this is a side that has improved even without any new personnel. However, they may well have to make do with a point from this clash as it ends up honours even.