Goalscorer Preview - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United: Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov will be looking to haunt Tottenham Hotspur on his return to White Hart Lane.

Berbatov has been the in form striker at Manchester United this season and leads the goal scoring charts with a tally of 14 goals. This has led to the Bulgarian playing with a smile on his face and enjoying his football at United when many questioned his desire at the end of the last campaign.

Berbatov has been one of the calming influences over the team through recent games. He played an important role in the Premier League wins over Stoke and West Brom and scored a vital goal during the draw with Birmingham.

United now have a striker with the perfect predatory instincts in front of goal. Berbatov is starting to be as effective inside the penalty box as Ruud van Nistelrooy was at United in his prime. This means a great deal of pressure is being taken away from other important players who have greater freedom to provide Berbatov with chances to score.

The Bulgarian seems to be long over the point where he would settle for a certain type of performance during a game. He has scored a hat-trick against Liverpool this season and five goals in one game against Blackburn Rovers. This proves he has a hunger when it could have been easier to take the foot off the gas in order to be substituted off for a rest.

Another reason Berbatov is so important to Manchester United is because he is such a flexible player. His goal scoring record and superb control of the ball in possession mean that Sir Alex Ferguson can always go with a five man midfield. Berbatov is more than capable of playing by himself in attack.

However, when he is given a partner, he is equally effective in a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2. When he has played with Wayne Rooney this season, it has been clear that Berbatov does everything he can to take pressure off of his strike partner. He does this by pulling defenders out of position and creating space.