Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Saturday evening as the Premier League makes its long awaited return.
Both of these sides find themselves in the bottom half of the table following poor starts to the 2026/27 campaign. As such, this match could prove crucial for both managers.
Michael Carrick is feeling the pressure
Carrick did a stellar job between January and May last season, steering United to a stunning third-place finish, thus qualifying for the Champions League.
Rather unsurprisingly, he got the gig on a full-time basis, but things haven’t been quite as rosy this season so far. One win in five Premier League matches is a dismal return given how high the optimism levels were ahead of the opening day clash against Hull City.
Indeed, United’s only two victories of the campaign have come against Ipswich Town (5-2) and Azerbaijani giants Sabah (4-0) in the Champions League. That 4-0 triumph was their last win, having suffered defeats to Man City and Brighton while drawing with Fulham before the break.
Things have to change, and fast, if Carrick wishes to remain at Old Trafford. He should be given time to make things right considering how much of an impact the Englishman had last term.
The saving grace is the Red Devils are facing a Spurs side who occupy the bottom spot in the Premier League table. United won the last meeting between the teams 2-0 back in February and home advantage could be vital considering Spurs have won just once at Old Trafford since 2020.
Spurs are in real danger
Is there anything more ‘Spursy’ than spending approximately $494M (£380m) during the summer transfer window, yet finding themselves bottom of the table after five games?
It has been a horrendous start to the new season for Roberto De Zerbi and his men, who have drawn twice and lost three of their first five league games of the campaign. The North Londoners were even knocked out of the EFL Cup by Liverpool a few weeks ago, leaving the FA Cup as the sole opportunity to win silverware this term. Of course, that seems like a bit of a stretch given their form in 2026. Tottenham have only won seven games across all competitions in the past ten months. Seven.
Spurs’ sole victory this season? A 4-1 triumph against lower division Londoners Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup. It simply isn’t good enough and unless De Zerbi somehow manages to turn things around swiftly, he could be sacked sooner rather than later.
The last time Spurs defeated United was the 2025 Europa League final. Any win will do this time around, that much is certain.
Team news
Manchester United have a long list of absentees for this tie. Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton are still unavailable due to previous issue prior to the break. Noussair Mazraoui, Benjamin Šeško and Patrick Dorgu all picked up injuries whilst on international duty. The doubtful list includes Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Karl Darlow, Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba. They’re just one goalkeeper shy of a full injured squad!
Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Pedro Porro and Mykhaylo Mudryk are all missing for Spurs. Defenders Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are doubtful after picking up injuries whilst on international duty.
Prediction
A win would do wonders for both teams (and managers) this weekend. United could give their season a boost by securing all three points, while Spurs will look to move away from the relegation zone should they grab the points.
It is a hard tie to predict especially given what is at stake, but I reckon United will snatch victory this time.
Manchester United 2 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur.
