After exiting two cup competitions in three days, Ange Postecoglou’s stance as Tottenham manager is facing real uncertainty, with the club just 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Upcoming opponents Manchester United have too suffered, in what is set to be their worst points tally in the Premier League era. The Red Devils sit one place and two points above Tottenham, having gained 29 points from 24 games. This means they are on course to acquire 46 points at the end of the season - their previous lowest was 58 in the 2021/22 campaign.
Underwhelming performances and lack of consistency means both teams approach Sunday's game in very similar situations. However, the manor in which the teams have ended up in these circumstances is much different.
Tottenham have showcased extremely contrasting displays in many of their performances this season - with six out of eight of their wins being by a three goal margin or more. Simultaneously, they have been defeated 13 times. Only the bottom four in the Premier League have each had more losses.
This has caused intense frustration among the fans, as the team has proven it's potential high capabilities, including remarkable victories away to both Manchester sides. However, the standard in these performances has been far too spare, to the point where much of the fan base has lost faith in Postecoglou - the man who seemed to have transformed Tottenham's fortunes, just 14 months ago.
Two stubborn managers - whose tactical approach will give their team the upper hand?
Ruben Amorim has persisted with the 3-4-3 formation that brought him so much success at the helm of Sporting Lisbon. Though, so far at Man United, his troubled squad have had difficulty emulating that.
This set up allows for the full backs to have more freedom offensively, this seems to have worked far better on the right wing than it has the left. Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo have enjoyed this system that allows the pair to link up regularly in attacking phases of play. The pair are considered as the Red Devils most impressive players this season, displaying fine form even when their team has struggled to showcase its quality.
On the other hand, Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho have not adapted as well to the setup, which is much different from their previous managers' Erik Ten Hag. Man United seem to often be exposed in this area of the pitch and Amorim has received criticism for his reluctance to adjust his approach - which some players are clearly struggling with.
Having the third centre back means that the two centre midfielders are often being overran, this was exploited by Crystal Palace numerous times in the build up to many of the opportunities they created in their 2-0 victory at Old Trafford two weeks ago.
Tottenham meanwhile, have conceded many goals in which they have been dispossessed when playing out from the back. Despite this being a recurring issue, Postecoglou is adamant that the tactic will pay dividends at some point, even though it has been one of the main culprits for Tottenham's vast array of defeats.
In fact, two of the goals Tottenham conceded in their 4-3 Carabao Cup win against Man United in December were due to two calamitous goalkeeping mistakes when trying to execute this style of play.
Aside from these two goals conceded, Tottenham were much the better side the last time these sides met, as they were when they demolished Man United at Old Trafford in September. This time round though, they have no Dominic Solanke, who has scored in each of his previous four games against Amorim's side. This may come at a major cost to Tottenham as they bid to increase their distance from the relegation zone.
Returning Tottenham players a significant boost to squad depth
Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are all rumoured to be preparing for a return to first team action to somewhat ease Tottenham's injury crisis.
Tottenham have been forced to give game time to an abundance of teenagers and academy graduates due to the constant injuries suffered by senior players. Archie Gray has played in three different positions in his 17 Premier League appearances, none of them being his preferred number eight role.
Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore have also increasingly been gaining minutes on the pitch, but their lack of experience has been evident. Both youngsters have displayed spells of superb of quality, each picking up their first Tottenham goals in the past month but have at times lacked final product and been wasteful in possession.
Not only will the returning players be vital additions to Tottenham's current squad, but it will allow much needed rotation for many of those who have been forced to start multiple games consecutively for the entirety of the winter.
Potential first Premier League double for Tottenham over Manchester United since 1989/90
In recent years, Tottenham have enjoyed much success over their upcoming opponents. A stark comparison to their fortunes against the Red Devils in the 2000s.
Victory on Sunday would not only be the first Premier League double the Lilywhites have completed over Man United in 35 years. It would be a third triumph for Tottenham this season, having gained a 7-3 aggregate over Man United in the two encounters prior.
Postecoglou's first home game came against Man United in August 2023, where his side were vastly superior and ran away deserved 2-0 winners. Back then, the attitude surrounding Tottenham was highly optimistic. Now though, a win would take them to just 30 points, in what will be their 25th outing.