. Last season's game - Man Utd 2 Spurs 0, 07.02.26
. Premier League Matchday Six - last year
. See the current injury list for all Premier League Teams
. All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here!

Full League Record of Man Utd v Spurs

Prem          Pl   W   D   L   For-Ag  Pts
Home          34   8  11  15   41 -51  35
Away          34   5   4  25   30 -63  19
=========================================
Total (Prem)  68  13  15  40   71 -114 54  0.79 Pts per game
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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)  68  13  15  40   71 -114 54
Total (Div 1) 102 29  28  45  144 -165 91
Total (Div 2)  8   3   3   2   13 - 6   9
=========================================
Grand Total  178  45  46  87  227 -285 154
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Last Six Premier League results:-

Man Utd     -     WLWDLD

Brighton   0-3    Man Utd
Hull       2-0    Man Utd
Man Utd    5-2    Ipswich
Everton    2-2    Man Utd
Man Utd    0-1    Man City
Fulham     1-1    Man Utd

Spurs       -     WLLDDL           

Spurs      1-0    Everton
Brentford  3-0    Spurs
Spurs      0-2    Newcastle
Nottm Fst  0-0    Spurs
Spurs      0-0    Everton
Spurs      2-3    A. Villa

Pos           P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
12. Man Utd   5  1  2  2   8-8    0   5
20. Spurs     5  0  2  3   2-8   -6   2

Clouds loom over the City of Manchester

Thanks to Eugene Gasper for his picture

Clouds (114 of them) loom over the City of Manchester. The Premier League used unprecedented language when recently announcing that Manchester City were guilty of all but one of their charges against them. Manchester City's inevitable appeal is pending, and the game of football will be in a state of limbo until the final result of the case is known.

Already press conferences have been held for some of this weekend's games. Coaches are understandably steering clear of making any judgemental comments about the Premier League's verdict. The issue is top of the agenda for most of the media. My fear is that tomorrow's Old Trafford crowd (5.30pm - SKY) will be as livid and fired up as that at Anfield on Sunday when City visit Liverpool.

A Telegraph exclusive this week disclosed that four Premier League clubs who reserved their right to seek compensation from Manchester City were notified of the guilty verdict last month before the rest of the league. Those four clubs were Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Each had instructed legal counsel individually to give notice to City that they reserved the right to seek compensation.

After enduring a three-week International break, bottom-of-the-table Spurs face the challenge of this Saturday tea-time trip to Old Trafford. Apart from Covid and the Qatar World Cup, this has been the longest mid-season break for top flight teams in recent times.

After their Europa League Final loss to Spurs in May last year, United had to endure a season without European football last term. Now it is Spurs' turn to sit out European football. Like Spurs in 2005, United were knocked out of the domestic cups at the first hurdle last season, and had a short 40-game season.

It is 13½ years now since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and United last won the Premier League title. The success of their near neighbours hurts badly, not least when Haaland scored the winner here on 14th September, and of course those charges against City. United have won five trophies since 2013 (Mourinho won two of those), but in relative terms recent years have been fallow.

Michael Carrick's appointment in January as Ruben Amorim's replacement was initially of a temporary nature, but having achieved qualification for this season's Champions League, his job as Man Utd coach was confirmed with a two-year contract.

Carrick the player was signed by Sir Alex in August 2006 and won 8 of his first 10 games. He also won 8 of his first 10 games as the United coach. No one else at any club in league history has started with more than 6 wins out of 10 as both player and manager. Carrick the coach was assisted by former England coach Steve Holland. Both remain at the helm, but after a diffident start to this season, they must be starting to feel the pressure. The storm clouds were forming in their last game at Craven Cottage until Matheus Cunha scored an 89th minute equaliser.

Famously in the 24-25 season, we beat United in all four meetings, including that night at Bilbao. We managed a 2-2 draw at home last season, but lost 2-0 in February at Old Trafford after Cristian Romero was sent off in the 29th minute after his challenge on Casemiro. Romero managed four more games for us last season, before injury kept him out, but he managed four friendlies for his country in March and June, and played in seven World Cup games for Argentina, including the final.

United will more than likely face Romero when they play Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League. Our former club captain has already angered Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho on 20th September, because Jose felt Romero should have been sent off. Real lost!

With their 2-0 win in February, United ended a run eight games without a win against Spurs after their previous win in October 2022 at Old Trafford.

Spurs have lost 25 Premier League away games versus Manchester United (W5, D4).

All five of Spurs' Premier League wins at Old Trafford were in their last 14 visits (D1, L8).

United's summer signings included midfielders Andrey Santos from Chelsea, Carlos Baleba from Brighton and Youri Tielemans from Villa. They also signed one of Spurs youth players - Tynan Thompson, aged 18. Tynan scored 13 goals and contributed six assists last season across Under-18 to Under-21 level. He was an unused substitute for Spurs three times last season.

For the first time since the 2008-09 season, Spurs are bottom of the Premier League after five games. Our record was the same (W0 D2 L3), but with a better goal difference. That would deteriorate to -7 though with "two points from eight games." Our sixth league game then was away to Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth when we lost 2-0. Harry, of course would come to our rescue.

When Manchester United were beaten 3-2 at home by Brighton in the Carabao Cup last month, it was the first time United had led at home by two goals and lost since they were beaten 3-2 by Tottenham in 1976. On that occasion (it was September 4th) Steve Coppell and Stuart Pearson had given Tommy Docherty's United a 2-0 half-time lead. Ralph Coates, Ian Moores and John Pratt won the game for Keith Burkinshaw's Spurs.

United had already had their one year in the second division. Spurs would be relegated at the end of that 76/77 season.

Pedro Porro withdrew from Spain's squad for the international break, and is unlikely to be available for either the Manchester United game, or our match against Coventry on October 19. There is confidence that the World Cup-winner will be available for the trip to Chelsea on October 24.

Mohammed Kudus also stayed at home. Both Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke came home injured before The Netherlands finished their International campaign, but there has been a suggestion that both may be available tomorrow. Tosin Adarabioyo and Marcos Senesi stand by. Dejan Kulusevski draws ever-nearer to a return, but will clearly be eased into action.

I am posting this preview before Roberto de Zerbi's press conference, but fear that the anti-City vibe in "The Theatre of Dreams" will drive United to a win. Of course, we desperately need the opposite result.

Stuart Attwell referees us for the 28th time, having first taken charge of a Spurs game in January 2010. This is his first Spurs game of the season. In October 2021, Mr. Attwell refereed another Saturday tea-time meeting with United. That was at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium when we lost 3-0. The fans turned against Nuno, and it was his last game in charge. Let's hope for better fortune for Roberto de Zerbi.

In the 2016-17 season which I am reviewing over the course of this term, we had two international breaks, both in early September and October. On 24th September, we beat Middlesbrough 2-0 away with both goals by Son. Son scored again when we beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 in the Champions League, and on October 2nd we beat Manchester City 2-0 at home, thanks to a Kolorov own goal and Dele Alli's second goal of the season.

Did you know? (1) - Bruno Fernandes's assist on the last day of last season's campaign for Manchester United gave him the record for most Premier League assists in a season. Fernandes also won the EA Sports Player of the season award.

Did you know? (2) - Youri Tielemans' winning penalty for Belgium against Senegal was the latest goal ever scored in World Cup history (124:44).

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