The Big Match Previewed - Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

Football is back in England and the first big match is the renewal of Tottenham's Jose Mourinho against his old side Manchester United.


It is hard to preview games when there has been such a long gap in play. Form isn't really a factor so an upsurge that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw in his final five (unbeaten) matches or Tottenham crashing out of the Champions League and FA Cup in limp fashion may hold no bearing on the match.

If coronavirus hadn't have happened, then England would now be playing in the Euros potentially without the injured Harry Kane or Marcus Rashford. As it now happens, both are available for their sides in a crunch match in the Champions League race. Paul Pogba is also fit to play so the exciting pairing of him and Bruno Fernandes in midfield could be deployed by Solskjaer but Giovani Lo Celso is a doubt which may force Mourinho into playing the less exciting midfield double pivot of Eric Dier and Moussa Sissoko.

United have risen up the table to fifth, just three points off Chelsea, but it's important to remember that the looming Champions League ban on Manchester City makes fifth place an avenue to qualify. Nothing has been decided of yet but there is every possibility that United, or Tottenham, could not need to finish in the top four. There is a four point gap between the sides - Tottenham are 8th - so every point in a close battle that goes down to Crystal Palace in 11th who are six points off Manchester United.

PREDICTION
1-1 draw.

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