Manchester United vs Tottenham: after the Brighton collapse, Carrick's United meet a Spurs side without a league win
By Margus Sellin · · 5 min
Premier League · Matchday 6
Manchester United
Tottenham
- Kick-off
- Venue
- Old Trafford, Manchester
Our call: Manchester United win 2–1
Bruno Fernandes and a United side that keeps scoring, at home to a Spurs side short of goals.
Logged 8 Oct, 09:30 CEST, never edited. We'll mark this call after full time.
In 30 seconds
- Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League with 2 points from five games.
- Bruno Fernandes has 4 goals in United's last ten games, and United have scored in 8 of their last 10.
- United have been patchy too, but they keep scoring and Spurs rarely do. At Old Trafford that should be enough for a home win.
The story
Manchester United went out of the League Cup on Wed 16 Sep after leading Brighton 2–0 at Old Trafford and losing 3–2, three days after a 1–0 home defeat by Manchester City in the derby. A late Matheus Cunha goal rescued a 1–1 draw at Fulham on Sun 20 Sep, and United go into the game 12th with 5 points from five matches. Carrick took the blame after Brighton: "We had the game exactly where we wanted it and let it get away from us in a big way."
Roberto De Zerbi's problem is simpler to state and harder to fix. He kept Tottenham up after taking over in March, and this season they have not won a league game. Spurs are bottom with 2 points and have scored twice in five league matches, both in the 3–2 home defeat by Aston Villa on Sat 19 Sep, when Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score late and Jan Paul van Hecke headed in a second deep in stoppage time.
The table makes it a big afternoon for both. A win takes United to 8 points, level with Hull City and Newcastle. For Spurs, a defeat would be their fourth in six league games.
Bruno Fernandes plays behind the striker, and he will meet Rodrigo Bentancur in the space in front of the Spurs back four. That back four is without Pedro Porro, and its two Dutch centre-backs are coming back from knocks.
Form
Latest →
Manchester United
- 20 SepD1–1at FULPL
- 16 SepL2–3v BHALC
- 13 SepL0–1v MCIPL
- 10 SepW4–0v SABUCL
- 6 SepD2–2at EVEPL
One win in five, against Sabah in the Champions League.
Tottenham
- 19 SepL2–3v AVLPL
- 15 SepL1–3at LIVLC
- 12 SepD0–0v EVEPL
- 5 SepD0–0at NFOPL
- 29 AugL0–2v NEWPL
No win since the 5–1 against Charlton in the League Cup on 26 Aug.
Latest on the left. PL = Premier League, LC = League Cup, UCL = Champions League. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Team news
Manchester United
- DoubtfulPatrick Dorgu: a hamstring problem: forced off for Denmark against Wales and sent back to Carrington for tests. Luke Shaw, who started at Fulham, stays at left-back.(reported)
- DoubtfulNoussair Mazraoui: hurt in a collision for Morocco against Lesotho and left out of their next game. He was not in the last XI, so it thins the cover rather than the team.(reported)
- DoubtfulBenjamin Šeško: a shin problem kept him out at Fulham. Cunha led the line there and scored.(reported)
Tottenham
- OutPedro Porro: forced off with a hamstring problem early in the Villa game on 19 Sep and pulled out of the Spain squad; reports put him out for about a month. De Zerbi needs a new right-back.(reported)
- DoubtfulJan Paul van Hecke: left the Netherlands camp with a foot problem. Dutch reporting says it is not serious.(reported)
- DoubtfulMicky van de Ven: hurt his hand against Serbia on Sun 4 Oct. Netherlands coach Xavi Hernández called it ‘not a big problem’.(reported)
- OutMikey Moore: on a season-long loan at 1. FC Köln. His 3 goals in the last ten are not available to De Zerbi.(reported)
Line-ups: confirmed about an hour before kick-off. They'll go under Updates. We don't publish guessed XIs.
Checked Wed 7 Oct 21:00 CEST: the Manchester Evening News (via Yahoo Sport), ESPN and AP for United; Sky Sports, AOL, GiveMeSport and bundesliga.com for Tottenham. Reported = not yet confirmed by the club.
Two more Spurs scorers are missing from the last XI. Conor Gallagher, with 3 goals in Tottenham's last ten, was on the bench against Villa and scored after coming on; no injury has been reported. Ben Davies, with 2, did not start either, with Robertson at left-back, and the outlets we checked give no reason.
Tottenham 4-2-3-1 · v Aston Villa, 19 Sep
- Kinský
- Porrovan Heckevan de VenRobertson
- Bentancur (key battle)Tonali
- SávioM. FernandesMarmoush
- Solanke
- Cunha
- RashfordB. Fernandes (key battle)Mbeumo
- TielemansMainoo
- ShawMartínezMaguireDalot
- Lammens
Manchester United 4-2-3-1 · at Fulham, 20 Sep
Both last XIs on a pitch
Tottenham 4-2-3-1 · v Aston Villa, 19 Sep
- Kinský
- Porrovan Heckevan de VenRobertson
- Bentancur (key battle)Tonali
- SávioM. FernandesMarmoush
- Solanke
- Cunha
- RashfordB. Fernandes (key battle)Mbeumo
- TielemansMainoo
- ShawMartínezMaguireDalot
- Lammens
Manchester United 4-2-3-1 · at Fulham, 20 Sep
Who to watch
The duel to watch: Bruno Fernandes against Rodrigo Bentancur. Fernandes plays behind Cunha and drifts into the gap between the lines; Bentancur started in the two-man Spurs midfield against Villa. If Bentancur follows him, space opens for Bryan Mbeumo cutting in from the right. If he holds his position, Fernandes gets time to choose his pass or shoot.
Manchester United
Bryan Mbeumo
Started wide on the right of United's attacking three at Fulham.
- 3
- goals, United's last 10
Tottenham
Dominic Solanke
Led the line against Villa. With Moore gone on loan, Spurs need goals from him.
- 1
- goals, Tottenham's last 10
Goals in each side's last ten games, all competitions. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Head-to-head
United won the latest meeting 2–0 at Old Trafford in February. Spurs won three of the four before it, the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao among them.
Result for Manchester United
- 7 Feb 2026Manchester United v TottenhamPremier League, Manchester2–0W
- 8 Nov 2025Tottenham v Manchester UnitedPremier League, London2–2D
- 21 May 2025Tottenham v Manchester UnitedEuropa League final, Bilbao1–0L
- 16 Feb 2025Tottenham v Manchester UnitedPremier League, London1–0L
- 19 Dec 2024Tottenham v Manchester UnitedLeague Cup, London4–3L
The last five meetings. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Numbers that matter
Goals scored, last five: Manchester United 9.0, Tottenham 3.0 (higher is better)
Three times as many. Spurs failed to score in three of those five games.
Goals conceded, last five · fewer is better: Manchester United 7.0, Tottenham 8.0 (lower is better)
Almost level: Spurs have let in one more.
Clean sheets, last ten: Manchester United 1.0, Tottenham 3.0 (higher is better)
The surprise: Spurs keep more, two of them in goalless league draws. United have kept one.
Last five or ten games each, all competitions, as labelled. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Our call, explained
We have United winning 2–1. Over ten games the two sides look closer than the table suggests: two wins each, and neither defence has been reliable. The difference is at the other end. United have scored in 8 of their last 10, and Fernandes, Mbeumo and Cunha share 9 goals in that run. Tottenham have lost Moore to a loan and an injured right-back, and may have to patch up the middle of their defence. United concede in almost every game, so we expect Spurs to score once.
Where this could go wrong. De Zerbi's side drew 0–0 twice in a row in September, and a patient, deep Spurs could frustrate a nervous Old Trafford. If United go behind, their September says they can come apart. De Zerbi could change his attack. If he does, and the Dutch centre-backs are fit, Spurs are better than the bottom of the table says. If United do drop points, we would expect a draw rather than a Spurs win.
Updates
Nothing has changed since we published. Next: confirmed line-ups, about an hour before kick-off.
Data note: results, scorers, the table and line-ups from our database (API-Football), read 7 Oct 18:10 UTC; team news and match details from Sky Sports, the Manchester Evening News, ESPN, AP, Yahoo Sport, AOL, GiveMeSport and bundesliga.com.