Their embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday was described as ‘wholly unacceptable’ by chairman Daniel Levy, who has acted quickly in a bid to resurrect his club’s dwindling top-four hopes.
Defeat here could leave Spurs nine points short of that ambition if Newcastle also win, while it would also see them on the receiving end of three consecutive Premier League (PL) losses for the first time since February 2022.
The visit of Manchester United, therefore, comes at an inopportune time, as no side in PL history have more wins against Tottenham than the Red Devils (39).
That includes a current four-match H2H winning streak for United, who return to the capital in a buoyant mood after progressing to the FA Cup final at the weekend, outlasting Brighton 7-6 on penalties.
Fatigue may be a factor after a gruelling 120 minutes, while no side in Europe have played more games than United’s 53 so far this term.
Manager Erik ten Hag is showing no signs of letting up, describing a top-four finish as ‘so important’ for a club that ‘belong in the UEFA Champions League’.
The Red Devils’ charge is being powered by a strong defence which boasts the most PL clean sheets (14), helped by four shutouts in their last five league matches (W3, D1, L1).
That solidity wasn’t on display in their last away assignment when they were dumped out of Europe by Sevilla, but each of United’s last six losses on the road were followed by a victory, so they should be confident of getting back on the winning trail here.
Players to watch: Tottenham shining light Harry Kane needs just one goal to level United legend Wayne Rooney as the PL’s second-highest scorer of all time, but he hasn’t recorded a home goal against the Red Devils since May 2017.
Impressing of late for Ten Hag’s men has been Antony, who scored and assisted in his side’s latest PL outing - a 2-0 win away at Nottingham Forest.
Hot stat: Tottenham are without a home draw in the PL since December 2021 (W18, L8).
