Manchester Evening News

Sir Alex Ferguson only had good things to say about Teddy Sheringham when he left Manchester United to re-join Tottenham Hotspur.

After four successful years with the Red Devils, during which he won six major trophies including the Treble in the 1998/99 season, Sheringham decided it was time to move on after United's title-winning campaign in 2000/01.

Despite being 35 at the time and coming off a stellar season as the club's top scorer, he chose not to extend his contract with the then Premier League champions. Instead, he returned to Tottenham, nine years after his first stint with the North London club.

His departure was met well by Ferguson who praised the Englishman for his services during his four-year stint at Old Trafford. The Scotsman said at the time: "Teddy was a great servant for us, he did a great job here.

"I said to him at the time when he was leaving that the offer he was getting from Tottenham, I don't think he could have turned it down. Teddy's proved to be a great buy for them." Back in 2001, Sheringham cited several reasons for his departure, including the desire to spend more time with his young son, reports the Mirror.

"It was no easy solution but I looked at the situation where I had four great years at United and enjoyed the experience, it's been brilliant, and looked at what was happening at the club and what players were coming in as well as the opportunity of going back to Tottenham," he said.

"It was a great opportunity for me and if I had another year at United, it might not have happened next year. The fact of going back to London and seeing a bit more of my son Charlie was a big draw as well."

He also expressed his dismay at his limited role in United's quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich in the Champions League as he said: "I told the manager I was very disappointed that I didn't play against Bayern Munich, especially in the first game at home when we had a lot of good results in Europe this year when I'd been playing."

Despite suggestions that Ruud van Nistelrooy's arrival influenced his exit, Sheringham dismissed those claims: "I don't really see him as a contender for my place or me for him, I think he's more like Coley or Solskjaer and I think that the three of them are very similar." After leaving United, he played for Tottenham, Portsmouth, West Ham, Colchester and Stevenage before retiring in 2008.

Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that Tottenham Hotspur won't ever lift a Premier League title and insisted that Manchester United stand a much better chance right now.

As United gear up to host Spurs at Old Trafford today, Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be eager to secure the three points following an inconsistent start to their campaign. A boost in morale is also needed for Erik ten Hag's squad as they strive to recover from last week's Europa League stalemate with FC Twente - and also aim to overtake Spurs in the league table.

Despite Spurs outdoing United last term by finishing fifth and the Red Devils finishing eighth, Ten Hag's outfit won the FA Cup - marking their second consecutive season with silverware. Meanwhile, Tottenham's quest for a trophy continues on since their League Cup victory back in 2008.

The London club's closest shot at the Premier League title came in the 2015/16 season when they came third - behind rivals Arsenal and eventual winners Leicester City. Over the last two years, Postecoglou has been steering a team overhaul, maintaining his focus on reaching the top four and a return to Champions League action.

Speaking earlier this year, Ferguson was quizzed on whether he believed Spurs might secure a Premier League triumph. The former United manager couldn't help but chuckle as he firmly responded "No! ", proceeding to elaborate on why he thinks the North London club will fall short of winning the title.

He said: "No, '61 was the last time they won it, well that's a long time. The opposition today with Liverpool and Manchester City being so powerful in the Premier League. Even for United now, we're having to fight."

When quizzed on whether Spurs would claim the league before United secured their 14th title, he bluntly replied: "No chance!"

Ferguson's views on Spurs are not new, however, as he famously gave a "Lads, it's Tottenham" team talk 15 years ago. Ferguson still seems unimpressed by the London club despite their progress - including reaching a Champions League final against Liverpool.

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Despite Manchester United's dip in form since Ferguson departed, they've hoisted silverware such as the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League - achievements that eclipse Spurs' record during the same period.

Both clubs, currently in the middle of the pack with Spurs sitting just one spot above United, have had challenging starts to the season. Managers Postecoglou and Ten Hag will be eager to see their sides climb the table as they gear up for a significant clash that could kickstart their respective campaigns.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur look set to have players miss today's Premier League match through injury.

United host Spurs at Old Trafford in their return to Premier League action as they look to return to winning ways. Erik ten Hag's side have drawn their last two matches in all competitions, most recently against FC Twente in the Europa League in midweek.

Last week also saw United held to a goalless draw with Crystal Palace which means the Reds go into the fixture against Tottenham in 11th place in the Premier League table with seven points from their first five matches of the season. Victory over Spurs would see United move up to eighth place and three points adrift of the top four spots.

United have been forced to deal with injury concerns for the entire campaign so far. Leny Yoro and Victor Lindelof are yet to feature this term with their respective injuries.

Yoro suffered a fractured metatarsal in pre-season and is not expected to return until November. Lindelof, meanwhile, has been sidelined with a toe injury this season and could return against Tottenham after returning to training earlier in the week.

Tyrell Malacia is also moving closer to a return to the matchday squad for the first time since May 2023. The left-back has not played for more than 12 months due to a knee injury and could make his long-awaited return to action next month.

Luke Shaw is also unavailable for United with a calf injury. The England international suffered the injury during pre-season and the latest optimism sees United hoping that Shaw will return after the October international break.

For Tottenham, one of the main injury concerns centres around club captain Heung-Min Son. The forward was withdrawn in the second half of Spurs' victory over Qarabag in the Europa League in midweek and remains a fitness doubt heading into the clash against United.

Manchester United will be looking to put an end to a three-game winless streak against Tottenham when the two sides meet in the Premier League later today.

Christian Eriksen quickly went from hero to villain in United's last outing, with the midfielder scoring before giving away possession for the FC Twente goal as Erik ten Hag's side drew 1-1 in the Europa League. Three wins from their first seven games of the season across all competitions isn't the greatest start from United, and a tough test awaits on Sunday when Ten Hag's side welcomes Spurs to Old Trafford.

United only took one point from their two games against Spurs last season, losing 2-0 in north London before being held to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. There are no new injury concerns for Ten Hag's side, with Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof, and Tyrell Malacia remaining on the sidelines.

So, can United end their winless streak against Spurs? Let's take a look.

We simulated Man United vs Spurs to get a score prediction

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that United could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes; Amad, Hojlund, Rashford.

We predict that Spurs could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Johnson.

United had the best possible start at Old Trafford, with an early corner seeing Matthijs de Ligt rise highest and head home to give the hosts an early lead. The goal gave Ten Hag's side a huge confidence boost, and 20 minutes in, they managed to double their lead.

After scoring the opening goal, De Ligt was involved again, winning back possession with a great challenge on Brennan Johnson before sending a long ball forward. His pass beat the Spurs high line to send Rasmus Hojlund through on goal, and the striker kept his composure to fire home and make it 2-0.

Pape Sarr intercepted Kobbie Mainoo's pass deep in the United half, allowing Spurs to hit the hosts on the break. Sarr carried the ball forward before placing the ball into the path of Dejan Kulusevski, and after cutting back onto his left, he curled his strike into the far corner to make it 3-1.

Kulusevski's close-range strike wasn't followed by any more goals as United defended well to pick up a fantastic three points.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: Man United 3-1 Spurs

What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!

Manchester United will look to return to winning ways against Tottenham following two successive draws in the Premier League and Europa League respectively.

Erik ten Hag's side could only manage a goalless draw at Crystal Palace last weekend before drawing 1-1 to FC Twente in the Europa League this week. Christian Eriksen netted the opener in the first half before a mistake led to Sam Lammers' equaliser the other side of half time.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are in search of back-to-back wins in the league after cruising past Brentford at home. They also kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win over Qarabag FK despite being down to ten men after Radu Dragusin was sent off in the seventh minute.

Ahead of what promises to be an interesting affair, MEN Sport brings you all the information on how to follow the match.

When is kick-off?

The match between Manchester United and Tottenham will kick-off at 4:30pm on Sunday, September 29.

Is it on TV?

Yes, the match will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 4pm.

If you're outside of the UK, you can tune in to proceedings via one of the Premier League's international broadcast partners, with a full list available here.

How else can I follow?

MEN Sport will be at Old Trafford to bring you all the updates before, during and after the game. Our live blog will be available a few hours before the game.

Alternatively, you can tune into BBC Radio 5 Live to listen to the match.

How can I watch the highlights?

Highlights will be available shortly after the game on the Sky Sports website and United's YouTube channel.

BBC's Match of the Day will also provide all the highlights from the games on Sunday which you can catch at 10:30pm.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur has the potential to be one of the most chaotic games in the Premier League season.

United welcome Ange Postecoglou’s men to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon with both teams sitting 10th and 11th in the table. Both teams have won two, drew one and lost one of their opening five games this season.

There are always goals when these two teams clash with more than one goal scored just once October 2017. Last season, Old Trafford hosted a thriller as Rodrigo Bentancur rescued a 2-2 draw for the north Londoners.

This time, United and Spurs have their fragilities and are there for the taking. It's expected to be one of the games of the weekend and pundits across the football industry have their say on who they think will come out on top.

Former United defender Gary Neville and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher have both backed Erik ten Hag's men to climb above Tottenham with three points. "I think Man United are winning that game," Neville said on Stick to Football.

"They struggle to score goals Man United, but I just think Sunday, it will be a good atmosphere and Tottenham is always a good game at Old Trafford. I will go 2-1 Man United."

Carragher added: "2-1 Man United - when you start to say Man United played well away at Palace and they drew 0-0, it's like 'Oh my God'." They both adjusted their prediction later on, with Neville saying: "Shall we raise them and go 3-1 [Roy Keane and Ian Wright predicted 2-1] I think we will get a third goal late on."

Writing in his BBC Sport predictions, Chris Sutton has questioned United's performance levels so far. "My first thought was that I fancy Manchester United to win this but, the more I think about it, the less likely that seems," he said.

"United made heavy weather of their Europa League draw with FC Twente on Wednesday, with a performance that was very uninspiring.

"Mind you, we need to see more from Spurs in the final third too, so I am going to stick with my instincts and go for a United win. Let me explain why.

"In my opinion, United cannot beat Spurs by going toe-to-toe with them, but there is an argument that Tottenham's playing style will suit Erik ten Hag, because it is in these sort of games where Ten Hag's counter-attack football works best.

"I am not exactly confident they will beat Spurs though.

"What worries me most about tipping United is what happens in the centre of the park. Are United going to rely on Christian Eriksen again, against his former club. A great player, but does he have the legs?"

Alan Shearer has predicted a draw, pointing towards both teams' struggles. "This is a huge game in terms of the top four," he said to Metro.

"Both teams haven’t had the start they wanted albeit Spurs won last weekend, it’s a really tough one to call. Both teams aren’t in great form. It won’t be a great result for either team but I can see this being a draw."

He added: "Spurs have players that can hurt United. James Maddison is a top player, he’s one of the players that could say he played his part and did okay during Spurs’ slow start to the season. I’m a fan of his, I like what he brings to the team and he got his goal last weekend. Confidence wise, that’ll be great for him and he’ll play a huge part, absolutely.

Manchester United will be targeting a return to winning ways when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

United, who have failed to win any of their last three meetings with the Londoners, played out a second successive draw on Wednesday night, drawing 1-1 with FC Twente in their Europa League opener. Christian Eriksen opened the scoring with a brilliant strike but the Reds were pegged back with just over 20 minutes left on the clock.

Despite producing what could only be described as a regressive performance, it did extend their unbeaten run to four matches. However, they will have to produce something much better against Ange Postecoglou's troops to get back to winning ways.

United head into the clash with Spurs, who are also currently locked on seven points, without any fresh injury concerns from their midweek stalemate. It means manager Erik ten Hag could shuffle his pack in the hope of getting a response out of his players.

However, Andre Onana is expected to keep his place in goal. He will be targeting a third successive Premier League clean sheet after recently keeping both Southampton and Crystal Palace at bay.

As far as the back-four is concerned, Ten Hag has deployed the same quartet in defence for each of United's last three league games and is unlikely to change it this weekend. It means Matthijs de Ligt should return in place of Harry Maguire after being named on the bench against Twente.

United are still stretched in the full-back department, meaning Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot should start at right-back and left-back, respectively, once again.

In midfield, Ten Hag, once again, has a puzzle to try and solve. Manuel Ugarte made his second start for the club against Twente and was partnered by Eriksen, who scored his third goal in as many games, but was later guilty of committing an error in the build up to Twente's leveller.

Kobbie Mainoo is likely to return to the starting line up against Spurs, meaning Eriksen, after four successive starts, could be sacrificed. Ugarte will be itching to make his first league start for the club and embed himself in United's first-choice midfield.

Bruno Fernandes, despite the poor nature of his performance on Wednesday evening, is almost guaranteed to retain his place at the tip of the midfield.

Ten Hag also faces a dilemma in the wide areas. Marcus Rashford was recalled against Twente and was one of United's better performers, meaning he should retain his place on the left.

Pre-match, Ten Hag cited the left-wing as Alejandro Garnacho's best role, meaning Amad could once again retain his place on the right. Rasmus Hojlund could bag his first start of the season after making a second successive appearance via the bench against Twente.

Erik ten Hag has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

United will look to return to winning ways after two successive draws in the league and Europa League. After a stalemate with Crystal Palace last weekend, United drew 1-1 against Twente at Old Trafford this week.

Ahead of the clash Tottenham, targeting back-to-back wins, have Son Heung-min as a doubt for the game. Head coach Ange Postecoglou confirmed a late call will be made on their captain.

The 32-year-old had to be substituted in the second half of Tottenham's Europa League win over Qarabag on Thursday after feeling fatigue in his hamstring. He received treatment on the pitch shortly after Dominic Solanke netted his side's final goal in a 3-0 win.

During his press-conference on Friday, Postecoglou said: "Still early days from last night. The boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in a shift. Apart from Sonny, everybody is okay and Sonny I don’t think is too bad.

“He wants to train tomorrow and we will see how it goes and make a decision from there. We have another day up our sleeve to give him every chance.” Son hasn't been sidelined with injury since November 2022, when he fractured his eye socket.

Although United have no fresh injury concerns, MEN Sport has taken a look at those players that will remain sidelined for Tottenham's visit.

Luke Shaw

Injury: Calf.

What Ten Hag has said: "I think it's probably [before the international break], but I can't say this for 100 per cent sure. The plan is to be back before, but it can be a short while after," Ten Hag explained this week.

Possible return date: October 2024.

Leny Yoro

Injury: Fractured metatarsal.

Possible return date: November 2024.

Victor Lindelof

Injury: Toe.

After being involved in Tuesday's opening training session at Carrington ahead of the draw with Twente, he could be available this weekend.

Possible return date: September 29 vs (Tottenham Hotspur).

Tyrell Malacia

Injury: Knee.

What Ten Hag has said: "He is not that far [off], but he is now in a progress situation. At a relatively short notice, he can again return into team training and then into team performance in games. I think it would be possible [to be available again] in two months."

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou insists they will give club captain Son Heung-Min every opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of their trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

Son limped off in the 71st minute of Tottenham's 3-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday evening with a hamstring injury.

However, the 32-year-old is keen to train on Saturday ahead of their trip to the North West and Postecoglou says they will make a decision over his availability after that.

"I think obviously it is still early days from last night," Postecoglou told our sister title Football.London.

"[It is] Fair to say the boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in a shift. Apart from Sonny everybody is okay and Sonny I don’t think is too bad.

"He wants to train tomorrow and we will see how it goes and make a decision from there. We have another day up our sleeve to give him every chance.

"Obviously with Wilson [Odebert] out, we're kind of limited and with Richy [Richarlison] out because Richy can play there as well. We are kind of limited but Timo [Werner] and Mikey [Moore] can certainly come into the frame.

"We have Deki Kulusevski who can play wide as well so we've got some options there, but firstly we'll see how Sonny is."

Both sides have made underwhelming starts to the season and head into the clash with seven points from a possible 15 in their opening five Premier League matches.

After finishing eighth last season, despite winning the FA Cup, United manager Erik ten Hag is already under pressure this term and that was only heightened by a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to FC Twente in their Europa League opener.

However, Postecoglou has defended the United boss' record in charge at Old Trafford, suggesting the fact he has won two trophies in two seasons is not 'insignificant'.

"There’s always some manager under pressure," Postecoglou added. "I think it’s must be one of those spinning boards with all our faces on it and whatever it lands on he cops it for a week or two.

"I think Erik in a real tough job has done really well. He keeps mentioning he's won two trophies and he has. I don't think that's insignificant. People keep telling me that’s what I have to do, but it's obviously not all you have to do, because even when you do that, there's more.

Following Wednesday night's frustrating 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League, Manchester United face a quick turnaround this weekend when they welcome Tottenham to Old Trafford.

Five games into the 2024/25 Premier League season, Erik ten Hag's men find themselves 11th on seven points. Victory on Sunday could see them climb as high as fifth, depending on results elsewhere.

Fortunately for them, Spurs have also struggled. Ange Postecoglou's men have an identical record to United with two wins, a draw, and two defeats. The North Londoners sit just above the Red Devils in 10th on goal difference.

Whoever wins will be hoping it propels their Premier League season with both managers facing heat for their starts. However, there are players from both clubs who will miss Sunday's Super Sunday clash. Here, MEN Sport breaks down every player who could be unavailable at Old Trafford.

Let's start with United. Ten Hag's injury problems have somewhat calmed down. Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount are now available after missing the early parts of the season. However, there are still four absences.

Summer signing Leny Yoro remains out with a fractured metatarsal suffered in his opening game of the pre-season tour of the United States. Victor Lindelof is out with a toe injury and has not been in a single matchday squad so far this season.

Perhaps the most annoying injury for United is Luke Shaw. The left-back missed the start of the campaign, despite playing for England in the summer, but there is hope he will return before the October international break, if not just after. Tyrell Malacia is also out but finally back in training.

All four players are defenders, meaning United have a strong arsenal of attacking options, unlike Tottenham. Spurs go into Sunday's game sweating over the fitness of Son Heung-min after he was forced off with 15 minutes to spare.

Postecoglou said he had not spoken to Son or the medical team in the aftermath of Thursday's Europa League win over Qarabag. However, on Friday, Postecoglou confirmed the attacker will undergo a late fitness test.

"Apart from Sonny, everyone's ok, but I don't think it's too bad [with Sonny]," he said. "He wants to train tomorrow so we'll see how he goes at training and make a decision from there. We have another day up our sleeve to give him every chance."

Fellow attacker Richarlison is also out, having sustained an injury over the summer. Wilson Odobert missed last week's game with Brentford and Thursday night's game with Qarabag.

It means United's backline is slightly weaker, and Spurs' forward line could be without some key options.