Manchester United vs Tottenham Prediction and Tips: Goals

Two shaky defences at Old Trafford

Manchester United go into this one 12th in the table on five points from five games, while Tottenham are bottom with two points from five - the worst start of Thomas Frank's Tottenham tenure by points total, though neither side's underlying numbers look as broken as the table suggests.

United have drawn two and lost one of their last three league games, conceding in every one of them: 1-1 at Fulham (where they had 29 shots to Fulham's 12 and still only scored once), 2-3 at home to Brighton, and 2-2 away at Everton. Eleven goals have gone in across those three matches.

Tottenham's finishing has dried up - one goal in their last three top-flight outings (2-3 at home to Aston Villa, 1-3 away at Liverpool, 0-0 at home to Everton) - but their defence has been just as leaky when the opponent turns up: six goals conceded across those same three games, with the Everton draw the only time they have kept it level at the back.

Both teams have shown they can be got at, and United in particular have not managed a clean sheet since the schedule picked back up. At odds of 1.49, the case here is over 2.5 goals.

Form guide

Key numbers

• Man Utd league position12th, 5 pts from 5 games
• Tottenham league position20th, 2 pts from 5 games
• Goals in Man Utd's last 3 PL games11 total (5 for, 6 against)
• Goals in Tottenham's last 3 PL games9 total (3 for, 6 against)
• Man Utd shots in 1-1 draw at Fulham29 shots, 6 on target

Team news

We could not confirm either side's starting XI this far out. No suspensions or confirmed injuries specific to this fixture were found for either club at the time of writing.

Verdict

Over 2.5 goals at 1.49 implies a 67% chance of at least three goals. Both sides have hit that mark in each of their last two matches but missed it in Tottenham's goalless draw with Everton, so this is a lean rather than a certainty - hence the smaller stake.