Paul Merson predicts a four-goal thriller in Manchester United vs Spurs
Paul Merson suggests the clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur is a huge one for both sides, admitting that he expects a very open match.
Same but different tales
Tottenham and Man Utd sit tenth and eleventh respectively in the table, with both clubs tied on seven points after five matches.
However, the performances of the two sides have been starkly different so far this season, with Spurs having dominated proceedings in almost every one of their games while United have looked like a side lacking in cohesion.
The game on Sunday could be an acid test for the top four ambitions of the two sides, according to Merson.
Lots of goals at Old Trafford
The former Arsenal defender believes that there will be plenty of goals in this game, given how open Tottenham are and United’s defensive frailties.
He suggested it is a must-win game for Erik Ten Hag’s men but predicted the two sides to play out a high-scoring draw.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “This is a huge game for both teams. Tottenham play a dangerously high line and Manchester United are not great at the back, so it’s a very open football match. I expect there will be loads of goals in this one too.
“It’s hard to point out what’s exactly going wrong at Manchester United at the moment. But I can tell you, something’s definitely not right. They have to get back into the top four, that should be like bread and butter for a club of this stature.
“It was the perfect game against Twente for them to get a win and take some pressure off themselves. But look at how it went, they failed to win despite taking the lead! If they lose to Tottenham on Sunday, it’s a massive problem for United. Ten Hag has to win this game for sure, nothing else would do for them.
“We’re potentially looking at Villa and Chelsea winning this week, so if Tottenham also get a win over them, that’s a huge blow in the race for top four. Let’s not forget they failed to win last weekend as well, so it’s massive pressure.
“If Rasmus Hojlund is fit, I think he should always play and that’s the same with Marcus Rashford. They should figure out a way to play both Alejandro Garnacho and Rashford together, that’ll give them an edge in attack. But the funny thing is, I would be surprised if all of them play together. We saw the other day how Rashford was on the bench even when he was in form.
“Spurs have been alright this season. Against Arsenal, the quality of set-pieces were the only difference between them. But they should’ve beaten both Newcastle and Leicester, if they don’t win these types of games, it starts to look a bit Spursy!
“As things stand, there are not a lot of problems with them. But if they lose this game, they are the team with the fourth-best chance of finishing fourth.”
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham cannot afford defeat
Spurs’ performances and their metrics have actually been excellent this season, even though results have not followed.
Postecoglou continues to retain the support of the majority of the fan base, but things could change if the Lilywhites lose on Sunday and have just one point to show for their first three away games of the season.
That would already leave Tottenham with a mountain to climb to get into the top four, which the Australian is expected to deliver this season on the back of Spurs’ fifth-place finish last term.
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