Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: 3 things to watch out for | Premier League 2018-19

Tottenham face Manchester United at the Wembley on Sunday in a very crucial Premier League match. United have performed exceedingly well under their new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and won their last 4 matches. They now have 38 points from 21 matches, of which 12 have come from the last 4. However, Sunday’s match would be their first against a big team under Solskjaer and they need to perform well in that one.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have 48 points from 21 matches and would have to beat United on Sunday in order to remain in the title race. They are still 2 points behind second-placed Manchester City and 6 behind league leaders Liverpool. However, that deficit is not insurmountable and Mauricio Pochettino's side would like to believe that they can still win the title.

We would now take a look at the top 3 things to watch out for on Sunday:

1. An intense midfield battle

Nemanja Matic must play at a high level for United

Both the teams have a very strong midfield and an intense battle in the midfield is on the cards on Sunday. United have Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as their defensive midfielders and both have performed well in the last few matches. Matic would have to stay in his own half as much as possible and shield United’s defence.

Matic is also a bit slow in his approach and might be troubled by the quick pressing of Tottenham forwards like Dele Alli and Harry Kane. Herrera would also have to involve himself in midfield tussles with his Tottenham counterparts Moussa Sissoko and Eric Dier.

Christian Eriksen, the midfield playmaker of Tottenham, is also likely to cause some problems to the Herrera and Matic pair. Herrera would have to pay special attention to him and not allow him to play the through passes with ease. Moreover, Dier also has the tendency to play box-to-box at times and might give the United midfielders a tough time.

Paul Pogba should play a very pivotal role on Sunday with his foraying runs to the Tottenham penalty box and should keep at least one of Tottenham’s defensive midfielders busy. Sissoko is likely to keep him in check with his tight marking and hard tackles.

2. Harry Kane’s performance

Harry Kane is the key on offence for Tottenham

Kane has been consistently good for Tottenham this season with 20 goals from 30 matches so far. Tottenham would again be relying on him for scoring goals and getting the valuable 3 points on Sunday. His quick turns and powerful shots might test the United defence considerably. He also poses a significant aerial threat.

Both Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, the likely centre-backs for United, would have to be on their toes against Kane. Moreover, Matic would have to stay close to the centre-backs and try to mark Kane every time he falls back to the middle third. This is very essential for United because Kane has the habit of dropping down and creating moves from the middle third.

Son Heung-min’s absence would be a blow to Tottenham, as the Korean forward has been in excellent form this season. However, Lucas is likely to play and would do his bit to trouble the United defence, which he did in their previous PL match scoring two goals in Tottenham's rout of United at Old Trafford, 3-0.

3. Accommodating both Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford in the starting line-up

Romelu Lukaku is not enjoying much playing time in the last few weeks

Both Lukaku and Rashford have performed reasonably well in the last few matches and scored some goals too. Lukaku now has 9 goals from 25 matches this season, whereas Rashford has 7 from 25. However, it would be a challenge for Solskjaer to accommodate both of them in the starting line-up.

In order to do so, Solskjaer might have to drop Jesse Lingard from his starting line-up and start Rashford on the right flank. Anthony Martial on the left and Lukaku as the centre-forward.

Lukaku’s battle against Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld should be an absorbing one as both of them are big and physically strong. Both Martial and Rashford are quite capable of cutting in from the flanks and entering into the opposition penalty box. Therefore, United’s proposed front 3 should pose some serious troubles to the Tottenham's defenders.