The inconsistent nature of the 2024/25 campaign has seen plenty of lows and plenty of highs for Tottenham Hotspur this season, with two of those brighter moments coming in Manchester: a 3-0 win at Old Trafford and a 4-0 win at the Etihad. That success has not been limited to the North West, as Spurs also took down City in the Fourth Round of the League Cup at home.
That victory propelled them into the quarterfinals, which sees Manchester United now make the trip to North London. Much has changed in the past few months for the visitors, with Ruben Amorim coming in to try to save the sinking ship. Spurs are no strangers to the League Cup semifinals, having made three of the past six, and they have a good shot to make it four in seven.
Quarterfinals: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United
Date: Thursday, December 19
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Paramount+ (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
United has been better since Amorim took over, though is still just 2-1-2 domestically since the departure of Erik ten Hag. Sunday’s win in the Manchester Derby was dramatic and probably deserved, but it was not necessarily the most comprehensive performance. The Red Devils are still below Spurs in the table and have an imperfect roster, and the new manager bounce can only do so much.
The contest between these sides in September was an absolute slaughter; Tottenham’s 4.4 xG that day was its highest of the season. Yes, the red card to Brune Fernandes did not hurt, but even at full strength it did not look like United was up for stopping the Spurs attack. It might not be an exact repeat of that on Thursday, but the ink on that blueprint is not completely dry.
Running free
It is clear that Ange Postecoglou’s side is going to have the most success against teams who play openly. The previous successes against United and City prove that out, and even the blitzkrieg of Southampton was a good reminder of this squad’s potential when the situation is right. Finding consistency still remains a challenge, but contests like this do seem to fit the team’s strength.
Spurs will need many of the same characters to keep it rolling in the midweek. Heung-Min Son is always lethal on the counter and Brennan Johnson lives to make a back-post run. With James Maddison getting back on the scoresheet and Dejan Kulusevski having scored in three straight, it does feel like this sets up for another positive attacking performance against a big (at least in name) side.
Meanwhile, United still looks disjointed despite Amorim’s arrival. Amad Diallo had a great ending to Sunday’s win, but was not super impactful prior. The same figures continue to underperform, and though they will relish a chance to go at Spurs’ second-choice defense, this club is only 13th in scoring in the league this year. Goals might be up slightly under Amorim, but I like Tottenham’s chances to advance to the final four.