Man Utd

The 18:45 GMT kick-off at the 62,000-capacity arena is an opportunity for Marc Skinner’s side to make it three wins from three in the Women’s Super League since the turn of the year.

United’s campaign resumed in 2025 with a brilliant derby victory away to Man City just under a fortnight ago, and the Reds moved up to second in the table by beating Brighton 3-0 at Leigh Sports Village last weekend.

All focus is now on this Sunday’s clash in the capital and, ahead of it, you can find everything you need to know below, including TV and radio commentary info, plus the latest team news…

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW

Our allocation of 2,174 tickets for the away end has now sold out, but if you are not heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there are still plenty of ways to keep across the action.

Exclusive live radio commentary will be available on MUTV, ManUtd.com and the United App from 18:40 GMT, with short and extended highlights findable across our platforms from midday on Monday.

Supporters in the UK will be able to watch the match live on Sky Sports.

TEAM NEWS

Skinner told journalists that midfielder Lisa Naalsund is back in training ahead of the Tottenham clash, having been sidelined with an injury since November’s meeting with Spurs’ north-London rivals Arsenal.

The boss wasn’t clear on whether the Norway international will be involved, although forward Geyse (compassionate leave) and defender Evie Rabjohn (knee injury) are confirmed to miss this one.

As for the hosts, it remains to be seen whether midfielder Drew Spence will be able to return. Tottenham’s no.24 missed last weekend’s WSL win at Crystal Palace – having started every other league game this term – but returned to training before Wednesday’s rescheduled FA Cup tie at Everton.

January signings Lize Kop and Josefine Rybrink couldn’t play in that one having joined after the registration deadline for the initial fixture, while Kit Graham, Ella Morris and Eveliina Summanen are long-term absentees.

OPPOSITION REPORT

Our opponents in last season’s FA Cup final have also made a perfect start to 2025 in the league, despite going out of both domestic cup competitions since the turn of the year.

Robert Vilahamn’s side have defeated Leicester City and Crystal Palace on the last two weekends, ensuring the Swede is alongside Skinner as a nominee for the WSL Manager of the Month award.

Top scorer Beth England is up for the players’ prize, having netted the latest two of her seven goals across all competitions in 2024/25 in last Sunday’s 3-2 success at Palace – which was decided by a 95th-minute winner from the first of their three winter incomings, Olivia Holdt.

The north Londoners currently occupy sixth spot in the table – the same position in which they finished last season – and are four games unbeaten after losing five of the previous six, a run which included a 3-0 defeat to United in October’s reverse fixture.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United - English League Cup 19 December 2024 | Manchester United  Man Utd

Altay Bayindir comes in for Andre Onana in goal, while Leny Yoro and Victor Lindelof replace Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire at the back. De Ligt has not been included in the matchday squad due to illness.

Our further two changes across the starting XI see Christan Eriksen and Antony swap in for Mason Mount, who is injured, and Amad.

The Reds are bidding to make it into the last four of this season's Carabao Cup, but there is a tricky test against Ange Postecoglou's side to navigate through first.

Spirits are high after our most recent win, a 2-1 derby success over Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

NO VAR

Whether you like it or not, VAR has become a central part of modern football and it's rare to have a United game without it now.

However, that will be the case on Thursday as, like in the previous two rounds, the final decision will rest with the on-field referee - John Brooks - and his officiating team. Brooks has overseen one Reds game so far this season, taking the whistle for the recent 4-0 victory over Everton at Old Trafford.

If we do successfully make it to the semi-finals, played over two legs, VAR will come back into play again.

STRAIGHT TO PENALTIES

If Thursday's quarter-final ends level after 90 minutes, we will go straight to a penalty shootout.

There will be no extra-time played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - since 2018/19, extra-time has only been played during the final.

The last time we faced Spurs in a penalty shoot-out was during the 2008/09 League Cup final. United lifted the trophy, beating Spurs 4-1 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.

A 21-year-old Jonny Evans started that game and picked up his first honour of an illustrious career and he could also be available on Thursday

The last-eight tie, our reward for convincing victories over Barnsley and Leicester City in the competition, will take place on Thursday 19 December.

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is 20:00 GMT and the match is being shown live on Sky Sports Main Event.

The other three matches are being played a day earlier, with staggered start times.

Arsenal and Crystal Palace compete in a London derby, Newcastle United host Brentford and Liverpool are away at Southampton.

Elisabeth Terland’s first two United goals in the closing stages of the first half ultimately made the difference, the Norwegian striker showcasing excellent penalty area instincts to put us into a lead that Spurs couldn’t close.

Maya Le Tissier added the third from the penalty spot just shy of the hour mark, while the Reds are still yet to concede this season after a fourth consecutive game without conceding across all competitions.

Both team wore black armbands in tribute to Lord Herman Ouseley, a trailblazer in anti-discrimination in football and founder of Kick It Out, following his passing at the age of 79.

FIRST HALF

The first clear chance of the contest was made against the early run of play by the visitors, with Martha Thomas cutting inside from the left side of the box, only to see her effort well charged down by Phallon Tullis-Joyce. A few minutes later, our No.91 stretched to tip a speculative Drew Spence shot from distance over the bar.

In the opposite goal, Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer showed similar reflexes to deny Grace Clinton’s fierce strike, arriving in the box from the right.

Tullis-Joyce was applauded to her feet by the fans on all four sides of Leigh Sports Village after receiving some treatment following a collision as she commanded her box by punching a dangerous corner to safety. The pause knocked some momentum out of the game, although a flurry of United attacks towards the end of the half, the team spurred on by the crowd, saw the Reds end the half firmly on top when Terland scored twice in the closing minutes before the break.

The first was a fine volley after Celin Bizet, bursting forward from right-back, had been played into acres of space and put in a pinpoint cross that was hooked towards goal and struck the underside of the bar on its journey into the back of the net. Bizet was again the architect for the quickfire second as United made the momentum pay, with Terland meeting a deep cross with her head a few yards from goal and giving Spencer no chance of keeping it out.

SECOND HALF

Terland very nearly had a hat-trick five minutes into the second period, put through on goal by Clinton but seeing the resultant first-time effort turned agonisingly onto the post by Spencer.

But United fans didn’t have to wait too much longer for the third goal, scored by the skipper. It was Ella Toone’s cross from the left that struck the arm of Tottenham defender Ashleigh Neville in the box, prompting referee Lisa Benn to point to the penalty spot. Le Tissier made no mistake from 12 yards, confidently sending Spencer the wrong way.

The game remained open as Spurs admirably looked for a way back into it and both teams continued to attack, with a chance coming for Toone which came about through Clinton winning possession and sliding in her team-mate. But the shot didn’t challenge Spencer’s goal.

Marc Skinner opted to freshen things up for the final 15 minutes with a triple substitution as Rachel Williams, Hinata Miyzawa and Simi Awujo looked to give the visitors a new set of problems. As Terland came off, the Leigh crowd showed its appreciation for her enormous contributions.

Williams brought fresh energy from the bench and forced Spencer into a good save as United pushed for a fourth. The crowd appealed loudly for a penalty when Clinton tangled with Molly Bartrip in the box when both trying to reach a ball that the United midfielder had knocked over her opponent, while our No.8 also looked to lob Spencer from distance that the back-pedalling goalkeeper just managed to prevent from crossing the line.

The dedicated group of travelling Tottenham fans were almost out of their seats in stoppage time when Spence fired low and hard at goal. But, like she had been in the first half, Tullis-Joyce was equal to it as she dived to her left to grasp the ball and preserve United’s latest clean sheet.

Match gallery of Man United Women v Tottenham Hotspur 13 October 2024  Man Utd

Maya Le Tissier third goal for Man United Women v Tottenham Hotspur 13 October 2024  Man Utd

Elisabeth Terland second goal for Man Utd Women v Tottenham Hotspur 13 October 2024  Man Utd

Elizabeth Terland opening goal for Man Utd Women v Tottenham Hotspur 13 October 2024  Man Utd