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Tottenham Hotspur vs. Man Utd preview, H2H, team news, line-ups, and prediction
Manchester United will travel to North London on Sunday, 16th February, to face Tottenham Hotspur. Here is a match preview.
Manchester United will travel to North London on Sunday, 16th February, to face Tottenham Hotspur as they look to avoid a third successive defeat against an out-of-form Spurs side.
United continue to struggle this season even after Ruben Amorim’s arrival, finding themselves 13th in the table after 24 league matches, with eight wins and 11 defeats. The 13-time English champions now trail fourth-placed Chelsea by 14 points in the race for a Champions League spot.
They hosted South London side Crystal Palace on matchweek 24 of the Premier League, and an underwhelming performance where they lost 2-0 saw them being leapfrogged by the Eagles.
The loss to Palace meant that United have now failed to score in four of their last games against the Eagles, their worst run without scoring against an opponent since a four-game scoreless run against Arsenal between 1981 and 1983.
Since Amorim took charge in November, United have managed just four wins in 13 Premier League matches, conceding 22 goals—six more than they have found the net (16)—under the Portuguese coach.
This latest setback marked United’s seventh home defeat of the league campaign, matching their worst-ever tally in a single Premier League season, set in 2013-14. The last time they lost more home league games in a single season was in 1962-63 (9), and with six home fixtures remaining in 2024-25, even that record could be surpassed given their current form.
Spurs have proven to be a difficult opponent for United in recent encounters, with the Red Devils coming up short both in performances and results.
In the reverse fixture, Erik ten Hag’s side endured one of their most lacklustre outings of the season, as Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke found the net for Spurs—who, in reality, could have scored even more under Ange Postecoglou’s attacking setup.
The two teams also clashed in the Carabao Cup knockout stage, where Spurs once again emerged victorious, edging United 4-3.
Despite leading the overall head-to-head with 96 wins, United have failed to claim victory in any of their last five meetings with Spurs, recording two draws and three losses. This is their longest streak without a win against the North London side since their five-game run between September 2012 and December 2014 (W2 D3).
Amorim now faces the challenge of preventing a third consecutive defeat and extending his winless streak to six matches. He will need to be tactically astute to outwit Postecoglou, whose team has struggled for consistency this season.
Supporters with Tottenham tickets are desperate to reverse their concerning form and ease the mounting pressure on Postecoglou.
They currently sit in 14th place on the Premier League table, two points adrift of United in 13th with only eight wins in 24 Premier League games.
The win over Brentford on matchweek 24 was their first league win in seven matches where they lost six games in that run. The victory against the West London side was also their first since the 5-0 win against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on December 15th.
Performances may not have met expectations, but for neutrals, matches under Postecoglou have delivered plenty of entertainment. His 62 top-flight fixtures have averaged 3.6 goals per game—the highest rate among managers who have overseen at least 50 matches (120 scored, 98 conceded). The fastest a manager has reached 100 goals both for and against stands at 65 games, a record previously set by ex-Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi.
It’s no surprise they’ve been able to score 48 goals, the third highest in the Premier League, only behind Liverpool (56) and Arsenal (49) at the time of writing.
Facing United, whom they’ve defeated twice already this season, will give them the confidence, especially when they’ll be playing in front of the home crowd. Postecoglou will now hope to have his best players available as they face tough cup clashes against Liverpool and Aston Villa before meeting United on February 16th.
Tottenham vs. Man Utd match details
- Date: Sunday, 16th February, 2025
- Location: London, England
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Kick-off time: 04:30 PM GMT
- Tickets: Fans can buy Spurs vs Man Utd tickets through the club websites or via trusted resellers such as Seatsnet.com.
Match stats and head-to-head
• United have now suffered seven defeats in their first 13 home league fixtures this season, equalling their highest tally at this stage of a league campaign, a record last set in 1893-94.
• Since the start of last season, only Wolves (16) have endured more Premier League home losses than United, who have been beaten 13 times.
• Tottenham’s victory over Brentford on matchweek 24 marked their first league win in seven outings, having lost six during that spell. It was also their first triumph since thrashing Southampton 5-0 at St Mary’s Stadium on December 15.
• Despite United leading the head-to-head record in this fixture with 96 wins, they have failed to claim victory in their last five meetings with Spurs, drawing twice and losing three times. This is their longest winless streak against the North London club since a five-game run between September 2012 and December 2014 (W2 D3).
• Under Ruben Amorim, United have secured just four wins in 13 Premier League matches since his first game in charge last November, while conceding 22 goals—six more than they have managed to score (16) during his tenure.
Team news
There are growing concerns that Lisandro Martinez could be sidelined for as long as six months after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee, with the United defender stretchered off during Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
United are still conducting medical examinations to assess the full severity of the injury, but reports from South America on Monday—citing sources linked to the Argentina national team—suggest that the worst-case scenario has been confirmed for Martinez.
The 27-year-old centre-back left the pitch in visible discomfort and is now anticipated to miss the remainder of the season, with Amorim describing the situation as “serious.”
United’s defensive concerns are compounded by Jonny Evans’ continued absence, as the experienced defender has been sidelined for the past seven matches due to an undisclosed issue.
Mason Mount’s struggles with injuries persist, with the former Chelsea midfielder remaining a long-term absentee, having featured in just eight Premier League games this season.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw has returned to full training after an extended spell out, though the left-back has not started a game for United in nearly a year. His slow recovery from a hamstring problem raises uncertainty over whether he will regain match fitness in time for the squad that travels to North London to face Tottenham.
United may also look to integrate new signing Ayden Heaven sooner than expected after the youngster was officially presented at Old Trafford on Sunday following his £1.5 million transfer from Arsenal.
Tottenham’s defensive issues worsened when Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin had to be withdrawn in the second half, adding to an already lengthy injury list.
Dragusin is now expected to join Brennan Johnson (calf), James Maddison (calf), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Timo Werner (hamstring), Dominic Solanke (knee), and Destiny Udogie (hamstring) on the sidelines.
In a positive development for Postecoglou, vice-captain Cristian Romero has returned to training and could be available against United if he passes a fitness test.
Meanwhile, centre-back Micky van de Ven, who made his comeback in the Europa League tie against Elfsborg, was a surprising omission from the squad that faced Brentford on Sunday.
The Dutch defender had previously missed 22 games across all competitions due to a hamstring injury sustained in October, but Postecoglou clarified that his absence was precautionary, aimed at managing his workload rather than a recurrence of the issue.
“We’re just trying to manage his minutes,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports. “It’s a quick turnaround, and after speaking with both the medical team and Micky, we decided to give him another week of training to be fully ready.”
New signing Kevin Danso is expected to play a role in defence, while Mathys Tel will also be pushing for involvement as he looks to make an early impression at the club.
Predicted starting lineup
Tottenham Hotspur predicted starting lineup:
Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bissouma, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.
Man Utd predicted starting lineup:
Onana; Yoro, Maguire, De Ligt; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Mazraoui; Diallo, Mainoo; Zirkzee.
Prediction
Tottenham have dominated this fixture recently, and they’ll hope to get the better of United again.
A loss for either team could see them drop further down the table depending on the results of the likes of Everton and West Ham United, who are within touching distance of the Red Devils and Spurs.
Tottenham are expected to dominate this game with their attacking prowess on display, but their vulnerability at the back could be exploited by United.
We’re predicting a 3-1 win for Tottenham.
