Seeking their first top-flight double over Manchester United in the Premier League era, Tottenham Hotspur make the long journey north to Old Trafford for Sunday's enticing encounter.
Both sides kicked off 2024 by advancing to the fourth round of the FA Cup, as the Red Devils sunk Wigan Athletic 2-0, while Ange Postecoglou's team ran out 1-0 winners over Burnley.
Match preview
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While the age-old cliche of football being a game of two halves still rings true, 2023 was certainly a year of two halves for Erik ten Hag and Man United, who have at least started 2024 as they mean to go on by furthering their chances of another slice of domestic glory.
It would not have been a Red Devils contest without a couple of scares along the way, but Ten Hag's men ultimately put two goals past League One outfit Wigan without reply in the FA Cup, as Diogo Dalot's fine finish preceded a contentious Bruno Fernandes penalty at the DW Stadium on January 8.
Fans of Newport County and Eastleigh will already be licking their lips at the prospect of a fourth-round glamour tie with Man United - who will face the victor of that replay later this month - but Ten Hag's side now resume Premier League duty after a completely mediocre start to the new term.
The feel-good factor from their incredible Boxing Day comeback over Aston Villa soon evaporated in a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest on December 30, a result which sees the Red Devils enter a depleted gameweek languishing in eighth in the standings, nine points adrift of a Champions League berth.
Preparing to play in front of the sharp eye of Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the first time this weekend, Man United are at risk of suffering 10 top-flight losses for just the fifth time since the Premier League's inception. Out of those previous four campaigns, the Red Devils have opted for a change in management in three of them.
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Ten Hag's position in the Man United hotseat is not believed to be under any immediate threat, but the Dutchman certainly does not possess the same job security as Ange Postecoglou, who oversaw a 2-0 beating of the 20-time English champions in just his second Premier League game as a manager.
Things have not been totally rosy for the Lilywhites since that joyous day in North London, and Postecoglou's side were also on the verge of being taken to a replay in the FA Cup by a dogged Burnley unit, only for a Pedro Porro wonder strike to seal safe passage into the next stage for the capital giants.
The slender success over the Clarets represented a fifth win from six matches in all tournaments for Tottenham, as they concluded 2023 with a praiseworthy 3-1 beating of an in-form Bournemouth side to move within one point of fourth-placed Arsenal, who can be usurped by their bitter adversaries this weekend while they enjoy an extended break from competitive action.
Consistency on the road has not come naturally to Tottenham in recent weeks, though, as just one of their last four Premier League away games has ended in victory, although they have not failed to score on rival turf in the top division since a 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the beginning of March.
Having ended a five-game winless run against Man United back in the summer, Tottenham are just 90 minutes away from a first double against the Red Devils since the 1989-90 season, but the hosts' 24 successes at home against Spurs is the joint-most for any team over a single opponent in Premier League history.
Team News
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Despite being summoned by Cameroon for their imminent Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Man United number one Andre Onana is expected to guard the Red Devils goal this weekend, but Sofyan Amrabat has now linked up with the Morocco squad.
However, Ten Hag issued an unexpectedly positive injury update in his pre-match press conference, confirming that all of Luke Shaw (unspecified), Casemiro (thigh) and Lisandro Martinez (foot) had resumed training and should be in contention for a game, despite stating earlier this month that it could be "weeks" before the latter two would be back with the squad.
Illness victims Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo have also fully recovered, as has Antony (hamstring), but Mason Mount (calf), Harry Maguire (groin), Victor Lindelof (groin), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Anthony Martial (illness) seem set to miss out.
While Onana has stuck around for a little while longer, Tottenham trio Son Heung-min, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma have linked up with their international teammates, and Eric Dier has ended his nine-year association with the Lilywhites to join German champions Bayern Munich.
With one out, though, two have come in, and Postecoglou could hand debuts to RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner - a former target of Man United's - and ex-Genoa defender Radu Dragusin this week, although the latter's work permit still needs to come through.
However, Micky van de Ven made his return to the matchday squad against the Clarets after his lengthy absence with a hamstring concern of his own, and Cristian Romero is back in training following a similar issue, but Postecoglou has admitted that he only has a slim chance of being involved.
Ben Davies (hamstring) and Giovani Lo Celso (unspecified) have also been ruled out with the problems they picked up in the FA Cup, joining James Maddison (ankle), Dane Scarlett (muscle), Manor Solomon (knee), Ivan Perisic (knee) and Alejo Veliz (knee) on the sidelines.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot; McTominay, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Emerson, Van de Ven, Udogie; Skipp, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Richarlison
We say: Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
While Tottenham severely lacked attacking ingenuity in their beating of Burnley, Man United's perpetual offensive woes are well-documented, but a raft of returns will no doubt boost the Red Devils' chances of opening their 2024 Premier League calendar on a high.
A full-strength Tottenham with a penchant for scoring on the road may be considered the favourites for Sunday's game, but with injuries and international call-ups decimating Postecoglou's squad, they may be kept waiting for an elusive double over Man United in a tightly-contested stalemate.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
