Man U wary of clash with on-fire Spurs
IT may only be October, but tomorrow’s clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford is already shaping up as an early-season eliminator to challenge runaway leaders Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Despite being at home and above Spurs on goal difference, second-placed United will be very wary of the league’s team of the moment.
Tottenham’s 4-1 destruction of Liverpool last week, soon after United’s uninspiring goalless draw at Anfield, means the visitors will arrive full of confidence despite their shock 3-2 defeat by West Ham United in the League Cup on Wednesday.
“Spurs know it will be a measure of themselves playing there,” former United assistant manager Mike Phelan said.
“But I don’t think [the two results] will change Jose Mourinho’s mentality. The expectation at Old Trafford is always to win.”
That will not be easy against a team of so many permutations.
Against Real Madrid, Spurs played with a target man, Fernando Llorente. For Liverpool it was the blistering pace of Son Heung-min alongside Harry Kane.
In Kane, Spurs have a striker in hotter form than even United’s Romelu Lukaku with nine goals in six games, while their defence look a more coherent unit than United’s in the continued absence of Eric Bailly.
While the expected return of Phil Jones should ensure no repeat of last week’s disasters in the 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield Town, Mourinho’s sharp criticism suggested all was not right in United’s camp and the absence of Paul Pogba had deprived them of their early-season swagger.
There was also something missing from Manchester City in midweek, although despite not scoring for 120 minutes against Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup they triumphed in the penalty shootout.
Sergio Aguero still seeks the one goal that will make him the club’s all-time record scorer and will back himself against West Bromwich Albion tomorrow, assuming tinker-man Pep Guardiola lets him on the pitch.
City have already won at the Hawthorns this season, 2-1 in the League Cup, and return to find Albion without a victory in eight matches and now up against three of the league’s top four in their next four matches.
Manager Tony Pulis said he believed the strength of the promoted teams would put a premium on Premier League survival this season and could find the club’s nine-year stay in the top tier under threat. - Reuters