Tottenham - Man Utd Prediction (6:30 p.m., November 8): A test for stability

(Dan Tri) - Tottenham and Man Utd are both regaining form after a difficult start, turning the confrontation in London into an important test for their ambition to return to the top of the Premier League.

After a bitter 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, which saw them booed by their own fans, Tottenham put in an impressive performance on Tuesday night, beating Copenhagen 4-0 at home in the Champions League.

With Tottenham 2-0 up and down to 10 men after Johnson's red card in the second half, centre-back Micky van de Ven produced a stunning solo run the length of the pitch to score the third goal, a strong contender for goal of the season. Manager Thomas Frank described it as "Lionel Messi turning into Micky van de Ven". Just three minutes later, Joao Palhinha sealed the 4-0 win, Tottenham's second in four League games.

Tottenham are in good form in the Champions League (Photo: Getty).

Tottenham fans are craving consistency, and manager Frank is optimistic his side can maintain this form. The Dane believes his side have made a significant “step forward” both in style and structure, but whether the explosive performance against Copenhagen will be a real turning point remains to be seen.

Currently sixth in the Premier League table and just a point behind Liverpool in third, Tottenham will head into tonight's game looking to win three consecutive top-flight games against Man Utd for the first time since the 1959-60 season, having completed the double against the Red Devils last season.

However, Tottenham are facing a worrying statistic: no team has lost more Premier League home games in 2025 than they have (9). Only in 1994 and 2003 (10 games each) have Tottenham reached double-digit home defeats in a calendar year in their league history. Meanwhile, manager Frank has lost nine of his last 16 home games in the league (W3 D4) during his time in charge of Brentford and Tottenham.

Man Utd and manager Ruben Amorim deserve credit for the way they have bounced back from a rocky start. After a 3-1 defeat to Brentford at the end of September, the Red Devils quickly bounced back with three consecutive Premier League wins, before drawing 2-2 with Nottingham Forest last weekend.

A 1-0 lead for Man Utd in the first half was wiped out within three minutes of a trip to the City Ground, after goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona. However, young midfielder Amad Diallo shone with a stunning volley in the 81st minute to help the visitors reclaim a valuable point and extend their run of scoring two or more goals to four games.

Man Utd struggled to a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest (Photo: Getty).

Speaking after the match, coach Ruben Amorim – who was nominated for the best coach of October – said he was satisfied with the fighting spirit of his players: “The players are giving their all and I believe they can do even better.” The Portuguese coach also called on the team to maintain their concentration and high performance, after noticing “a little decline” in the second half against Nottingham Forest.

Man Utd are currently eighth in the table, behind only Tottenham and Chelsea on goal difference. Amorim's side are on course for their first five-game unbeaten run since January-February 2024, the last time they have scored at least two goals in five consecutive games.

However, the history of confrontation is not on the side of the "Red Devils". Man Utd have not won in the last 7 encounters with Tottenham in all competitions (drawn 2, lost 5), in which they lost all four recent matches. The last time a team beat Man Utd 5 consecutive matches was Liverpool, from 2000 to 2002.

Competition force

Tottenham are facing a serious injury crisis ahead of the upcoming match. The list of absentees includes James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin (all knee), Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma (ankle), Ben Davies, Kota Takai (thigh) and Archie Gray (calf). Lucas Bergvall is also unavailable due to concussion protocol.

Dominic Solanke has not been able to return to competition (Photo: Getty).

Mohammed Kudus is in a "fragile" condition after missing the midweek win over Copenhagen. His possible absence could open up a starting spot for Johnson on the right wing, while Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are likely to compete for a place on the opposite flank.

Richarlison is expected to continue to start, leaving Randal Kolo Muani on the bench. Midfielder Joao Palhinha and versatile full-back Djed Spence are expected to return to the starting line-up, with Spence possibly replacing Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Man Utd have just one injury concern with Lisandro Martinez, who has been out since February. Despite returning to training, Amorim is likely to delay the defender's first-team return until after the international break.

Harry Maguire was fit enough to return to the bench for the draw with Nottingham Forest. Amorim will consider whether to recall the centre-back or continue to use Leny Yoro alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw.

Bruno Fernandes is expected to partner Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte in central midfield, most likely Casemiro. The Red Devils captain is looking to provide assists in three consecutive away games for the first time since November 2020, after assisting against Forest and Liverpool.

Bryan Mbeumo has scored four Premier League goals against Spurs, bettered only by Brighton and Southampton (5). Three of those four goals have come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Cameroonian will continue to start in an attacking trio alongside Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Expected lineup

Tottenham : Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons

Man Utd : Lammen; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tottenham-man-utd-18h30-811-phep-thu-cho-su-on-dinh-20251108091500154.htm