Let's Talk Tactics: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
Ahh, Super Sundays, the perfect way for Premier League Fiends to start their week. This Sunday, United host Spurs at Old Trafford. Eager to rectify their anti-climatic and lackluster performances against oppositions they should’ve been beating, The Red Devils will be well aware of the pressure on them come Sunday. The match is sure to entertain as the two managers will be looking to outsmart one another, potentially turning the game into an action-packed chess game. Now, Let’s talk tactics!
CURRENT FORM
The Red Devils come into this one without a win in their last two games, drawing against Dutch side Twente in their first Europa League outing of the season. The game finished 1-1 with the goalscorer Christian Eriksen going from Hero to Zero as he caused the equalizing goal from Qarabag, dispossessed on the edge of his own box while attempting to dribble his way out of trouble.
Spurs, on the other hand, are fresh off two consecutive wins at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, dismantling Azerbaijan side Qarabag despite being reduced to ten men very early on in the match. Outstanding performances from Pape Sarr and Archie Gray helped the 10-man Lilywhites through the game, controlling most of it. New signing Dominic Solanke scored for the second time in a row and it looks like he’s settling in in north London quite nicely. Big Ange even managed to rotate his side, giving key players like James Maddison and Son Heung-min a rest ahead of their important game at the weekend.
This same fixture last season gave us an entertaining and goal-filled match, which ended in a 2-2 draw. United took the lead twice but were quickly replied on both occasions. They had gone into this game with a personal agenda against a Spurs side that comfortably beat them in London earlier that season, and so Ten Hag’s men were eager to right their wrongs back in front of a home crowd. Despite the full-time score, Spurs were the better team on the night and were unfortunate not to have come away from Old Trafford with all three points. The result meant that Postecoglou had successfully avoided defeat against United in his first season In charge, an accomplishment many Premier League managers would be envious of. The Red Devils know the pressure is on them in this game, as not only do they have a lot to prove to Postecoglou and his men in white, but they must also put out an improved performance on Sunday if they are to avoid a pending implosion.
SHAPE
Manchester United fielded a close-to full-strength squad in their game against Twente. The Red Devils lined up in 4-2-3-1 that transformed into their more familiar 4-2-2-2 with Joshua Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes as the two most forward players. Eriksen started the game in midfield and helped United dominate possession, even scoring a belter shortly after the half-hour mark. Marcus Rashford began the match on the wing after shockingly being left on the bench in their last Premier League game against Palace despite having scored three goals in the two games prior to that match.
Tottenham set up in their uniform 4-3-3 under Postecoglou in midweek. They maintained their back four after Radu Dragusin was sent off, with Destiny Udogie coming on to replace Ben Davies, who was now playing as a centre half. Postecoglou places significant emphasis on attack. The Australian manager embodies the modern-day attacking philosophy— encouraging rigid positional play with an allowance of rotations within such an inflexible system. He once confessed in an interview that it's all about space, vacating and filling in space regardless of the personnel. Players like Maddison constantly occupy varying positions on the field depending on what's necessary. The fullbacks invert, each with differing functions. This ensures numerical superiority in key areas of the pitch, most especially the midfield, where the former Celtic boss seeks to create as many triangles and diamonds as possible. Spurs score goals, there’s no doubt about this, and come Sunday, Manchester United are at risk of being hurt by the Lillywhites' attacking emphasis if Ten Hag does not devise a successful plan.
KEY BATTLES
The Midfield: Like most premier league games, the side that's able to dominate the midfield and control possession tends to win. This game will be no different, with both managers concentrating on midfield overloads. Key Spurs players in the build-up will have to be watched over; Bissouma and Sarr will be pivotal for Spurs come Sunday if they do not wish to return to north London empty-handed. Porro has started every Premier League game so far this season and is most likely to feature again on Sunday, he is however evidently not the best-inverted fullback and tends to struggle against pressure whenever he inverts. United may look to implement a press trigger on the Spaniard as it could prove effective in forcing turnovers in opposition territory.
Maddison vs Mainoo: Kobbie Mainoo has arguably been United's best defensive player so far this season. The Englishman will have to be at his most alert on Sunday in order to keep up with an in-form James Maddison, hot off a man-of-the-match performance against fellow London side Brentford in his last premier league game. Mainoo has completed the most interceptions so far in the premier this season(14), more than the likes of Van Dijk (13) and teammate Diogo Dalot (10). He must continue with his impressive reading of the Game against Spurs in order to help his side cope with the Spurs player’s tendencies to rotate.
Mazraoui vs Son: Noussair Mazraoui looks set to face his toughest challenge yet this season as he comes up against Tottenham talisman Son Heung-min. The South Korean has been in decent form this season, directly involved in 4 goals. Son provided two assists in his last premier league game, and after being rested in his side’s Europa League win, he will be buzzing to impress at a ground he tends to shine in. Mazraoui, on the other hand, has also been in good form. The Morrocan has impressed since his move to the red half of Manchester, already boasting more tackles than any of his teammates. He will need to be on his a-game against Son if he does not want to be caught off guard by the South Korean’s quick feet and direct play.
Manchester United need a win, and this might just play into the hands of Postecoglou and his Spurs side. Their direct football will cause problems for United come Sunday, despite their impressive defensive performances so far this season. Erik ten Hag must ensure his side improves on their last two performances if he does not want media attention for thr wrong reason so early on in the season. The match has all the attributes to potentially turn into one of the games of the season so far. I wouldn’t miss it if i were you.
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