Tottenham travel to Old Trafford on Sunday, to take on Manchester United after having qualified for the Europa League group stages. What line-up will they go with in the Premier League weekend’s headliner fixture?
Spurs won their final Europa League playoff game in a dominant fashion with a 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa on Thursday. A hat trick from Harry Kane led them to the group stages after coming through a grueling September schedule.
Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday, Oct 4, Old Trafford, 4:30 BST
Starting XI Predictions: United
Odds: Tottenham win 3/1 Draw 14/5 United win 66/67
In goal, captain Hugo Lloris will be back replacing Joe Hart. We can expect the North Londoners to field a 4-2-3-1 formation. Matt Doherty and Ben Davies will keep their places for the visit to United.
The only change that might happen in the defence will be the inclusion of Eric Dier. Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld started on Thursday, but the Englishman will be back in the starting eleven in place of Toby.
Ahead of them, the midfield pivot could see a change with Moussa Sissoko coming in for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Dane has been impressive since his arrival, but Jose Mourinho might opt for the more athletic Sissoko. Partnering him will likely be Harry Winks who played a crucial part in the playoff with his passing range.
The attacking trio will comprise of Lucas Moura, Steven Berwgwijn and Dele Alli. Giovani Lo Celso is a doubt for Sunday’s game after having picked up a knock against Maccabi. So, Alli will be getting another chance to show Mourinho what he is made of.
With Heung-min Son also not available, it will give Bergwijn another opportunity. These three will have to be at the top of their game to help Spurs overcome Manchester United. In attack, the hero against the Israeli side, Harry Kane, will be starting upfront.
He has been in great form this season and will want to keep this going. It will be his presence that will cause problems for the United defence.
The way he is able to combine with his fellow attackers makes Tottenham a strong team. Despite the sheer number of games, they have played, Spurs have managed it very well. This match on Sunday will be another step in this season and they will want to succeed here.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI against Manchester United (4-2-3-1):
Hugo Lloris, Matt Doherty, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, Dele Alli, Harry Kane