Sunday’s headliner fixture in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United, brings a match-up featuring a very acclaimed manager taking on his former club. Furthermore, it’s a game that sees said manager, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, taking on the man who immediately replace him in Manchester mentor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Adding extra spice to the already mouth-watering match-up is the face that the two men have already traded a few verbal barbs heading into this week.
That’s big for OGS, because now he’s in the club. After all, you’re nobody in the Premier League, until Mourinho has had a public feud with you.
Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday, Oct 4, Old Trafford, 4:30 BST
Team News: Tottenham
Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham United
Odds: Tottenham win 3/1 Draw 14/5 United win 66/67
In turning towards the team news and selection issues for Solskjaer, there are only three injury concerns for United here. Defenders Axel Tuanzebe (ankle) and Phil Jones (knee), as well as third string goalkeeper Sergio Romero (undisclosed) are out of commission for this one.
Don’t let the current table mislead you about this game (a 9th place team versus the #14 side), these two clubs will battle for top four up until the very end.
Prediction: United 2, Tottenham 1
Tottenham are in better form right now, and I do believe that when all is said and done, they’ll finish higher in the table among these two teams, but right now the Red Devils have a huge advantage when it comes to overall rest and fresh legs.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.