Man Utd - Tottenham: Difficult for the 'Red Devils'

(Baonghean.vn) - The highlight match of round 10 of the Premier League 2017 - 2018 is the fierce clash taking place at Old Trafford between the home team Man Utd and the away team from London, Tottenham.

Currently, the two teams are standing close to each other on the rankings with the positions of 2nd (Man Utd) and 3rd (Tottenham) respectively with a gap of exactly 1 win (20 points - 17 points). If coach Mourinho and his team fail, they will let Tottenham fill the gap in terms of points, and at the same time be left far behind by the top team Man City in the championship race (if Man City overcomes West Brom).

In case of victory, the Old Trafford team will certainly maintain the 2nd position and continue to chase the rival of the same city Manchester with the distance within control.

Therefore, the match between Man Utd and Tottenham is extremely important not only for the two teams, but also affects the championship race of the tournament. A draw is an undesirable result for both teams at this time.

Harry Kane and his teammates have been in good form recently. Photo: Internet

In terms of form, Tottenham are showing more stability than their opponent Man Utd. Apart from the 2-3 defeat to West Ham in the English League Cup, the "Roosters" have gone through a streak of 11 consecutive unbeaten matches in all competitions (8 wins, 3 draws), since the 1-2 defeat to their neighbor Chelsea more than 2 months ago (August 20).

The victories against Dortmund (3-1) in the Champions League and Liverpool (4-1) in the Premier League or the draw in a winning position right at the Bernabeu stadium of Real Madrid (1-1)... are enough to prove the formidable strength of coach Pochettino and his team.

To defeat a team as comprehensive as Tottenham is extremely difficult for any opponent. The attack line is the presence of excellent stars such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eriksen, Heung Min Son - who have scored 19 goals after 9 matches in the Premier League (ranked 3rd).

Meanwhile, the defense still shows its inherent solidity with the excellent defensive ability of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the trio Toby Alderweireld - Davinson Sanchez - Jan Vertonghen... Captain Hugo Lloris has only had to pick the ball out of the net exactly 6 times in the Premier League this season.

However, it is not easy for coach Pochettino and his team to get points when leaving Old Trafford. According to statistics, in the last 3 visits to the "Theater of Dreams", the London team lost all 3. The 2014-2015 season was a 0-3 defeat, the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons were 2 losses with the same narrow score of 0-1. All were clean losses (no goals scored) and all took place under the reign of coach Pochettino.

Mkhitaryan scored the only goal in the match between the two teams at Old Trafford last season. Photo: Internet

On the other side of the front line, Man Utd are showing a somewhat declining form compared to themselves. The 0-0 draw against Liverpool and the surprising 1-2 defeat at the new recruit Huddersfield not only caused coach Mourinho and his team to lose their rhythm in the journey to compete for the championship with rival Man City but also exposed the existing shortcomings at Old Trafford.

The image of the winning machine was not reproduced against the equal opponent - Liverpool and was exhausted and harmless against the "little guy" Huddersfield.

Moreover, the Old Trafford team is like a miniature hospital. The injuries of Paul Pogba, Fellaini, Carrick, Bailly have not yet recovered, and coach Mourinho also lost a player who is playing consistently, Phil Jones...

Therefore, to win, the "Red Devils" can only rely on the talent of coach Mourinho, the killer instinct of Lukaku, Martial... and the home field advantage.

It is not easy for Man Utd to win, Tottenham will find it even harder to do so, a draw is likely to happen. Surely Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea... also expect the same./.

*The first match between Man Utd and Tottenham takes place at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, October 28.

Thanh Hung