· Last Season's Corresponding Game - Man Utd 2 Spurs 3, 29.09.12
· This Season's home game - Spurs 2 Man Utd 2 - 01.12.13
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 20 2012-13
· See the current injury list for all Premiership Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats
Full League Record of Man Utd v Spurs
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 22 3 7 12 25 -38 16
Away 21 1 3 17 11 -44 6
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Total (Prem) 43 4 10 29 36 -82 22
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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
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Total(Div 1) 102 29 28 45 144 -165 91
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2) 4 2 1 1 10 - 3 5
Away (Div 2) 4 1 2 1 3 - 3 4
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Total(Div 2) 8 3 3 2 13 - 6 9
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Total (Prem) 43 4 10 29 36 -82 22
Total (Div 1) 102 29 28 45 144 -165 91
Total (Div 2) 8 3 3 2 13 - 6 9
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Grand Total 153 36 41 76 193 -253 122
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Last Six Premier League results:-
Man Utd - LLWWWW
Man Utd 0-1 Everton
Man Utd 0-1 Newcastle
A. Villa 0-3 Man Utd
Man Utd 3-1 West Ham
Hull 2-3 Man Utd
Norwich 0-1 Man Utd
Spurs - WWLWDW
Fulham 1-2 Spurs
S'derland 1-2 Spurs
Spurs 0-5 Liverpool
S'hampton 2-3 Spurs
Spurs 1-1 West Brom
Spurs 3-0 Stoke
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
6. Man Utd 19 10 4 5 32-22 10 34
7. Spurs 19 10 4 5 22-24 -2 34
Grounds for optimism
It's impossible to talk about a January fixture against Manchester United, without referring to the injustice of Pedro Mendes' "goal that wasn't a goal", scored when the official result was Man Utd 0 Spurs 0 on 4th January, 2005. The incident is clear in the memories of all who were present, and most football fans oldd enough to remember what happened only 9 years ago.
It has taken until this season for goal-line technology to be introduced in the Premier League, which should mean no such injustice will occur again. When some observers were tweeting their fears about this week's referee I thought that perhaps Mark Clattenburg had got the game again, but in fact our referee tomorrow will be Howard Webb. Both are vilified by many football fans, Spurs fans included, but in fact we've had little to maon about regarding either referee over the last year or so. It isn't Howard Webb's fault that he was in charge for our massacre at The Etihad in November, when we last visited Manchester.
Spurs, still under AVB, regained some respect and kudos with their performance in the home game against United, played on 1st December (Spurs 2 Man Utd 2 - 01.12.13), scoring cracking goals through Kyle Walker and Sandros, but gifting United their goals (both scored by Rooney) thanks to a skewed attempted clearance by Kyle Walker, and a penalty conceded by an over-enthusiastic and committed Lloris.
It is also impossible to talk about this fixture, without referring to our historic (one and only) Premier League win at Old Trafford when we met last season in September, 2012. We thought that Jan Vertonghen had scored the sensational opener, but it went down as a Jonny Evans own goal. Gareth Bale put us two up in the first half with a right footed shot, but in a frenzied few minutes in the second half Nani got a goal back for the hosts; Dempsey restored our two goal lead, and Kagawa ensured it would be a nervy closure to the game. Spurs of course did hold on.
Can Spurs do it again? Well, they will be without key players such as Vertonghen, and now Paulinho, so cruelly put out of action by another reckless Charlie Adam challenge. Adam makes a suspicious habit of putting key Spurs players out of action, but will escape any official sanction this time. Spurs could do with Sandro returning for Paulinho tomorrow, but the official team news includes him on the injured list, with Townsend, Kaboul, Vertonghen and Paulinho. Jermain Defoe is also doubtful with a hamstring problem.
It could mean a start for Capoue in central midfield, and the first ground for optimism is the fact that Spurs scored their two goals from open play against Stoke after Paulinho had gone off, and been replaced by Capoue. Make that the second ground for optimism, because we won here last time out!
Despite all the negative reaction to Spurs loss at home to Liverpool, and the departure of AVB, Spurs also have a better record in their last six league games compared to that of United.
United have won their last four games (three of them away), but they lost the other two (at home to Everton and Newcastle). On top of four league wins, Spurs have drawn one of their remaining games of the last six. Tim Sherwood is unbeaten in the Premier League after three games.
Kyle Walker will return for Spurs, and hopefully Danny Rose was rested, not absent through injury against Stoke. I am concerned about the fact that Dawson and Chiriches have had no relief at centre-back for the last three games, but unless Capoue covers there, I don't see any realistic alternative.
United have been without Robin van Persie for five games, and David Moyes has confirmed he is "not quite ready" yet. Wayne Rooney did not train today (Tuesday) and is also doubtful. United are likely to be relying upon Welbeck and Hernandez as their strike pairing. Welbeck has struck form in the absence of Van Persie, and has scored 4 goals in those last five games. Players such as Nani and Phil Jones are also on the United injured list.
There seems to be no other way for Tim Sherwood but positive and attacking football, which will leave us vulnerable at the back, and promises several goals. Therefore we are in for a typical Man Utd v Spurs game, which should guarantee entertainment for the tea-time television audience. I'll go for a scoring draw.
Happy New Year everyone!
· 15 years ago this week, on Saturday January 2nd, 1999, Spurs beat Watford 5-2 in the FA Cup Third Round
