THE Premier League's two biggest underachievers face off as Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United and the stakes are high for Ange Postecoglou with pressure cranking up on the Spurs boss.
The Aussie's boast that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club is starting to look a bit hollow after Tottenham crashed out of the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the space of a few days.
With Spurs sitting 14th in the Premier League, their whole season now hinges on Europa League success but Postecoglou might not be in the dugout when they get round to playing their last-16 tie.
The 4-1 EFL Cup semi-final thrashing by Liverpool was followed by a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round last weekend, with Mathys Tel's late consolation bringing up a bet for me after I'd tipped Villa to win with over 2.5 match goals.
Postecoglou remains the hot favourite for next Premier League manager to be sacked but he will fancy his chances of getting a morale-boosting win against a Manchester United side who have also been in a state of disarray.
Ruben Amorim has arguably made a team that flopped under Erik Ten Hag even worse, with the players at his disposal struggling to adapt to his 3-4-3 formation.
United may have won four of their last five in all competitions but they've failed to convince in any of those games and needed a controversial late goal to see off struggling Leicester City in the FA Cup last time out.
How the bookies view it: Spurs just have the edge
This is a tricky one to call with both teams in poor form but BoyleSports reckon home advantage just gives Tottenham the advantage. Spurs are 7/5 for the win, with Man United at 8/5 and the draw paying 13/5.
Recent head to head: Hex appeal for Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur have been a bit of a bogey team for Manchester United in recent seasons, with the Red Devils winning just one of the last six meetings. Postecoglou's side thrashed them 3-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League earlier this season then knocked United out of the EFL Cup in a 4-3 thriller at home.
Players to watch: Son ready to shine again
Postecoglou will be looking to captain Son Heung-min to step up in his hour of need and the Korean sits on 13 goals for the season. He's 2/1 for anytime scorer, which looks a little overpriced given United have conceded seven times to Spurs this season.
Alejandro Garnacho has been Manchester United's brightest spark in recent weeks and that should earn him a starting slot here. The young winger also looks a little overpriced at 2/1 for a goal with BoyleSports while Bet365 price him at 6/5 to either score or assist.
Probable line-ups
Tottenham still remain ravaged by injuries, with Dominic Solanke, Timo Werner, Richarlison, Radu Dragusin, Brennan Johnson, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero missing out again, But keeper Guglielmo Vicario is available again while Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert could also make their comebacks.
Manchester United stopper Lisandro Martinez is out for the season while Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans remain sidelined too.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Davies, Danso, Spence, Bergvall, Sar, Bentancur, Kuluevski, Tel, Son.
Manchester United: Onana, De Ligt, Maguire, Mazraoui, Dorgu, Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Garnacho, Fernandes, Zirkzee.
Anything else catch the eye?
Armchair fans will be hoping for a repeat of that seven-goal thriller in the EFL Cup and it's a match that does promise a few goals with neither side solid at the back.
BTTS is just 4/11 at BoyleSports but combining it with no draw takes you to evens. I also fancy over 1.5 first-half goals at 23/20 with the same firm.
Both meetings have been fiery this season, with 14 yellows and one red across the two clashes. That makes over 52.5 booking points a decent option at 6/4 with Betfred while United skipper Bruno Fernandes is ?/? to pick up a card.
This English Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will be played on Feb 16, 2025 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Betting Tips & Predictions
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