· This season's home game - 2-1 to Man Utd.
· Last Year's Home game - 2-0 to Man Utd
· Last Year's Corresponding Fixture - 1-0 to Man Utd
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 29 2002-3

Full Record of Spurs -v- Manchester United

Prem          Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home          12   3   2   7   18 -20  11
Away          11   0   1  10    4 -23   1
=========================================
Total (Prem)  23   4   3  17   22 -44  12
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  51  20  19  12   89 -64  63
Away (Div 1)  51   9   9  33   55 -101 28
=========================================
Total(Div 1) 102  29  28  45  144 -165 91
=========================================
Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   4   2   1   1   10 - 3   5
Away (Div 2)   4   1   2   1    3 - 3   4
=========================================
Total(Div 2)   8   3   3   2   13 - 6   9
=========================================
Total (Prem)  23   4   3  17   22 -44  12
Total (Div 1) 102 29  28  45  144 -165 91
Total (Div 2)  8   3   3   2   13 - 6   9
=========================================
Grand Total   133 35  34  64  179 -215 112
=========================================

Man Utd

Man Utd   3  2   S'hampton
Everton   3  4   Man Utd
Man Utd   2  3   M'brough
Man Utd   1  1   Leeds
Fulham    1  1   Man Utd
Man City  4  1   Man Utd

Spurs

Fulham     2  1   Spurs
Spurs      4  3   P'tsmouth
Charlton   2  4   Spurs
Spurs      4  4   Leicester
M'brough   1  0   Spurs
Spurs      1  0   Newcastle

Pos          P W   D  L  F -A  GD  Pts
 3  Man Utd 28 18  4  6  52-29 23  58
10  Spurs   28 11  4 13  40-43 -3  37

It is 18 months, almost to the day, since we last played at Old Trafford. On that occasion, we lost by just one goal, and that was a penalty conceded by Gary Doherty for a foul on Solskjaer, when he had got away with a worse challenge on the penalty scorer, Van Nistelrooy.

On that day we arrived in 2nd place after just 6 league games, whilst United were in 10th place after a moderate start to the season. How things were to change! In my preview for that game I suggested there had never been a better time to play United, and one could of course say that now, as their recent form is well-documented; the Championship all but conceded to Arsenal; and an embarrassing Derby defeat last week to live down. Well, that last event is likely to ensure a highly passionate crowd, and a highly motivated team, which will probably ensure that there could not be a worse time to play United!

Since our last visit to "The Theatre of Dreams", we have lost two home games to the Red Devils. Last March we lost by 2-0, which was not such a bad result compared to some of our other matches around that time. Then, just before last Christmas, we went 2 goals down in the first 25 minutes, before finally rallying in the last half hour, getting one goal back through Gus Poyet. We did at least show we could match the Reds in that last 30 minutes, playing some of our best football seen this season in that spell thanks in part to one of Stephane Dalmat's better days.

I doubt very much if we shall see the same starting line-up for Spurs this Saturday, as we did against Newcastle. I would even be surprised if we played the finishing line-up, as Dalmat may be considered a luxury for such a game. Simon Davies returned to training this week, after only a short break, and may resume his role in front of Carr. Jamie Redknapp may get a start, and I fancy Kanoute to be left on the bench.

Our Premiership record against United is not good, and we have never won such a game at Old Trafford. Indeed the last away win was in 1989, and they have been few and far between before that time, although I shall always recall being surreptitiously placed behind the Stretford End terraces on the day when Ralph Coates scored the only goal in the season United were relegated.

It's 5 games since United had a league win, and that was by 4 goals to 3 at Everton, on the day we were making heavy weather of beating Portsmouth by the same score. Since then, United have lost at home to Middlesborugh (which seems to be a bit of a habit), and only managed a draw at home to Leeds, before that ignominious defeat at The City of Manchester Stadium last week. United's drop in form was also shown in the 1-0 defeat at Molineaux.

So, whether it is the best or worst of times (sounds Dickensian that) to play United, we are assured an exciting and attacking game of football, and we do have a bit more of a shout than usual, although I am still predicting a home win by 2-1.

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