After qualifying for the Europa League’s round of 32, Tottenham will shift their attention to the upcoming journey of Old Trafford. The Lilly-Whites are scheduled to play Mourinho’s men for the match week 15 and will be looking to get a positive result out of the game as to remain in the title hunt.
Tottenham were hit with a major roadblock with a defeat at the hands of the league leaders Chelsea, but their recent results against Swansea and CSKA Moscow will lift their spirits high and a win at Old Trafford will bring them back in the title race. Tottenham, in particular, have been an utter nuisance to Manchester United, as the last time they met in the league, the Lilly-Whites thrashed the devils with a thumping scoreline of 3 goals to nil at the White Hart Lane.
Looking at their recent form, it is hard to separate both the sides as both have won three of their last six games. Despite this, Tottenham’s prolific form in front of the goal can prove to be a decisive factor.
Here is how Pochettino might field his men up:
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris-
The French stopper was a one-man show for the side in their failed attempt to beat the Champions League group stage and he will be a major threat for United’s attackers, as he simply is one of the best in the league. A Sure starter.
Defence: Walker; Alderweireld; Vertonghen; Rose-
Kyle Walker is unarguably one of the best players in this position, as his timed runs in the opposition area and his physical presence in his own half has been a very decisive factor for the club. He will most probably be up against Anthony Martial, hence his pace will be tested in the fixture.
The biggest boost for the Lilly-Whites would be the return of their brick wall, Toby Alderweireld. It is no secret that Tottenham struggled badly in the absence of the Belgian, and with him being available, the threat of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been minimised. His partner in crime would surely be Jan Vertonghen, hence, United, you better be worried!
The left flank will be occupied by an all-confident Danny Rose, who will be up against a recently rejuvenated Henrikh Mkhitaryan. An interesting battle to watch for.
Holding Midfield: Wanyama; Dembele-
If Tottenham are to win the game, these two men will have to be on their toes, as both Pogba and Herrera are forming a good partnership lately. With Wanyama sitting deep and marking out Ander Herrera, Dembele will have to check the clever runs of Pogba in the advanced areas of the pitch.
But besides this, Dembele will have rush forward at times as United’s defence is pretty solid and the Lilly-Whites might need some reinforcements to crack the Red Wall.
Attacking Trio: Son; Alli; Eriksen-
Son will be starting the game and will be up against Matteo Darmian, who has been the weakest link in the Manchester United’s defence. The Korean star started the season brilliantly and he would like to add more goals to his tally.
Alli, on the other hand, will be full of confidence, as marked his name on the scoresheet in Tottenham’s clash against the Russians, and he is expected to win the midfield battle against Michael Carrick.
On the left flank, Eriksen will surely be plying his trade and will face an energetic Antonio Valencia. The Danish superstar has started to score goals again and he would love to continue that for sake of his team who were struggling throughout the season to put the ball in the back of the net.
Striker: Harry Kane-
The main weapon in Tottenham’s armoury. He is one of the best finishers in the game and he will be a sure nuisance for the likes of Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo.
