Prediction: Tottenham vs Manchester United

30th November 2013

Fresh from the 6-0 defeat at Etihad, Tottenham play host to reigning champions Manchester United, hoping to finally prove they should be considered serious top 4 contenders. The Red Devils, on the other hand, will be aiming to build on the impressive 5-0 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen and hand Ryan Giggs a perfect gift for his 40th birthday.

It is fair to say many people have been impressed with Tottenham Hotspur’s dealings in the summer transfer window, with Spurs having signed a plethora of quality players in an attempt to compensate for Gareth Bale’s departure. And while squad rebuilding process was never going to be easy, nobody could predict Tottenham would be so disappointing in the opening exchanges. Given the standard of their performances, Spurs should be more than happy to have added 20 points to their tally, and with fourth-placed Manchester City just two points away, there is still plenty of time to save this season. However, the problem is Tottenham are showing no improvement whatsoever, with the embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Citizens putting extra pressure on Andre Villas-Boas and his players. Spurs will have a perfect opportunity to revive their top 4 bid and get their campaign back on track as a victory over reigning Premier League champions would go a long way, but I just don’t see how they are going to match in-form Manchester United at this point in time. Several first team regulars will be back after they were rested in midweek, but Danny Rose, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen remain in the infirmary.

The departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson obviously left a huge gap to fill at Old Trafford, but I dare say his successor David Moyes has done pretty well considering the circumstances. Even if the results in the opening exchanges were far from impressive, the former Everton boss has put all the differences behind him to help Wayne Rooney rediscover his top form, while also coping well with the pressures of the new job. As a result, the Red Devils have been steadily improving during the last couple of months and they look ready to kick-start their title bid in English Premier League. And even if the players will have been disappointed by the 2-2 draw at Cardiff City, the amazing 5-0 triumph over one of Bundesliga’s top sides should serve as a huge confidence boost ahead of the all-important clash at White Hart Lane. And with Phil Jones back to help the team cope with the absence of Michael Carrick and both Nemanja Vidic and Robin van Persie likely to return, my money is on United pouring more misery on out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur.

Conclusion

Tottenham’s latest performances have been way below the required standard and while there is obviously plenty of room for improvement, it is highly unlikely Spurs will be able to give their best so soon after the embarrassing defeat at Etihad. Meanwhile, Manchester United continue to impress on all fronts and I can definitely see them winning at the Lane.

Verdict: Manchester United Draw no bet

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: William Hill