Tottenham vs Manchester United prediction: Mathys Tel to shine on Premier League debut | OneFootball

Tottenham and Manchester United have shared one defining characteristic this season: they are both always on the brink of complete turmoil.

It’s not often these two sides meet placed 14th and 13th in the Premier League respectively, with relegation chatter following their seasons more prominently than securing a spot in the Champions League. Both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim are working through difficult periods in which one bad result threatens to up the pressure and scrutiny.

Postecoglou is under the most immediate danger, following Spurs’ elimination from both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in their last two matches. His ceaseless attacking style matches up well against United, though, beating them 3-0 at Old Trafford in September and 4-3 in the Carabao Cup just before Christmas.

This will be a firm indicator of how far United have come under their new manager’s tutelage and whether or not there’s a late charge for a Europa League place on offer for either side, should their quests to win the second-tier European competition fail.

Spurs’ recent cup failures overshadow what was a decent performance last time out in the Premier League. Their 2-0 win away at Brentford surprised many and put them right on United’s coattails in the battle to try and wrestle a half-acceptable finishing position from this campaign.

Postecoglou’s natural tactical style should immediately put Spurs on the front foot. United aren’t the best at soaking up pressure and tend to make mistakes at some point in each match, so a fast Spurs start could really make it a difficult day for them.

Lisandro Martinez’s season-ending injury means a little of United’s aggression has gone at the back. He was really stepping into a leadership role and is a major loss.

Martinez’s willingness to move forwards with the ball was giving the Red Devils’ midfield and attack greater time to find space in dangerous positions and was proving to be a key outlet for United to gain some control.

Without that, we can expect Spurs’ press to really put the visitors under pressure. Whether United’s midfield is made up of Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes or Casemiro, they are susceptible to being caught out and receiving a yellow card.

This is an interesting shout on football betting sites for those who fancy United to crumble under the home side’s attacking intensity, which we’ve seen them do multiple times already this season.

Fans of ‘the narrative’ should be all over this one. Mathys Tel was consistently linked with Spurs and Man United throughout the January transfer window. At one point, it looked like he had turned down Spurs and was possibly on his way to Old Trafford. Soon after, he joined Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich.

Of course, his first Premier League fixture is against the side he could have joined.

Betting sites have placed odds of 15/2 on Tel to score the first goal in North London. United are in a phase where it always feels like there’s always another level to how bad it can get. Tel showing his quality would certainly paint an even grimmer picture.

He scored a lovely consolation goal in the FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa and has looked lively in terms of energy. While the youngster has struggled to get on the ball he’s already proven he doesn’t need too many opportunities to punish the opposition. United will almost certainly give him a chance to make his mark at some point.

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