Tottenham could well be the team that actually is the favourite when they face Manchester United in the Premier League. This has not been the norm over the years but just shows how much Tottenham have grown under Mauricio Pochettino and how much Manchester United have fallen under Louis van Gaal.
Manchester United might be a point behind Manchester City but this is a game that they need to do well in if they want to have a chance of making it into the top four this season. Without the Champions League, Manchester United would be losing out on a lot of sponsorship money which would hurt their finances and their ability to attract top quality players next season.
Van Gaal has a lot to think about and with the pressure on him to do well, here are three things the Manchester United gaffer must do to ensure they get all the points at White Hart Lane.
Play with two up top
Manchester United have two of the youngest and best prospects in the Premier League and they both are strikers but playing Anthony Martial on the wing, they use the direct running of the Frenchman and well, it is a waste of his abilities.
Martial and Marcus Rashford would be a great pairing to take on the Tottenham defence. They have Kevin Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld who will be lining up in the heart of the defence and with the movement and pace of the Manchester United duo, the Tottenham central defensive pairing could struggle to contain the away side.
Mata through the middle
Juan Mata has been another player who has been wasted out wide, while he does move into a central position through his own volition, he does have to stick to Van Gaal’s plans more often than not and that is not a good thing.
Mata has to play in a central position so that he can take advantage of the movement of Rashford and Martial. The Spanish star is brilliant in finding players with his passes and he can also take a shot or two. A trio of Martial-Mata-Rashford could well be the one way to beat Tottenham.
A midfield of Schneiderlin and Fellaini
Spurs would most probably play with Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele in midfield and Manchester United would have to try to break the Spurs rhythm in the middle of the pitch. Fellaini might be one player who does not seem to be at his best but give him the role of running about and making a nuisance of himself and that is his best role in the side.
Fellaini would also need some help and that would come from Morgan Schneiderlin, who might not have had the best season this year but he certainly can do a job of breaking up the play and passing the ball to Mata could well be the game plan that works for United.