Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- George Dempsey
- 26 April 2023
Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread as they play host to Manchester United on Thursday evening.
Sixth-placed Tottenham are six points off fourth-placed Manchester United and have entered a bad run of form at the worst possible time.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Premier League, Thursday April 27, Kick-off 8:15pm, live on BT Sport 1
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Manchester United to win
Manchester United to win and over 2.5 goals
Manchester United to score in both halves
Key stats
Tottenham Hotspur have conceded 14 goals in their last five matches, including a 3-3 draw at Southampton, a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth, and a 6-1 collapse versus Newcastle.
The last time Tottenham conceded six goals in a Premier League match was a 6-0 loss in 2013. They drew 2-2 at home against Manchester United in their next game.
Manchester United have won four straight meetings between the sides and are unbeaten in five at this stadium.
Manchester United haven't lost any of their midweek matches so far this season - winning five and drawing two.
Team news
Emerson Royal (knee), Ryan Sessegnon (thigh), Yves Bissouma (ankle/foot), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee) and Hugo Lloris (hip) are all unavailable due to injury. Lucas Moura is suspended.
Ryan Mason may want to freshen things up after a tough week for Spurs, but he has limited options on the bench.
Lisandro Martinez (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Raphael Varane (ankle), Scott McTominay (knock), Phil Jones (knee), Tom Heaton (ankle) and Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) are all unavailable due to injury.
Bruno Fernandes is the latest injury scare for United. The creative talisman was pictured wearing a protective boot after Sunday's FA Cup semi-final and is expected to miss the game on Thursday.
Verdict
If Tottenham's Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread going into Thursday's game, then Manchester United are the ones holding the scissors.
In the weeks since Antonio Conte's fractious exit from the North London club, director of football Fabio Paratici has been suspended, acting head coach Cristian Stellini was sacked, and Ryan Mason is back for a second stint in charge.
It's been a trying week for Manchester United too as they crashed out of Europe and needed extra time and penalties to overcome Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
You would expect there to be a few heavy legs and tired minds on Thursday evening, but the elation of reaching a second domestic cup final this season should help lift spirits.
There's also the small matter of securing an automatic Champions League spot via the traditional route and beating Spurs would go a long way to achieving that. Erik Ten Hag's side are level with third-placed Newcastle going into this fixture, but do have a game in hand over the St James' Park outfit.
It remains to be seen whether Mason's men can muster up a response in front of the BT Sport cameras, but saying they have checked out would seem a fair criticism given the evidence.
There's little doubt that Bournemouth wanted it more than their hosts and fully deserved their dramatic 3-2 victory. What followed at St James' Park was indicative of a side that had given up.
When you consider the PGMOL's apology in the wake of Tottenham's victory over Brighton on April 8, it's conceivable that their only win in nine could have come against bottom-three side Nottingham Forest.
Their leaky rearguard has conceded 14 goals in five matches and they have dropped points against three of the bottom six sides during that run.
United's hectic schedule has seen them play once every four days on average since 2023 began. Only Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sevilla have beaten them, but it's worth noting those losses all came away from home.
Injuries and suspensions could have easily hampered them further, but the Red Devils have coped well despite being stretched at the back. The absence of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez could make chances easier to come by for Spurs.
The visitors will be pleased to have Marcus Rashford back in their ranks, although they have lost Bruno Fernandes. Marcel Sabitzer might be deployed in a more advanced role, while another option would be to play Wout Weghorst behind a central striker.
Regardless of how the away side line up, Tottenham's lightweight midfield lacks bite without Rodrigo Bentancur or Yves Bissouma to call upon. United should therefore have no problems passing through the lines.
The Red Devils have won four straight meetings between the teams and four of the last five at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There's such a gulf in class and confidence between the sides, it makes sense to back the visitors to win a high-scoring game.
