Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 14/01/2024 (Premier League)

The Premier League is back from its late winter break and Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in a tough test.

The same is true for Spurs, who will be making the trip from the north of London to Manchester as they seek to pile pressure on their fellow north Londoners Arsenal, who are only a point ahead of them in the table.

A win at Old Trafford will see them temporarily leapfrog the Gunners – who play later in the match week – into fourth place. The win is important as the outcome of the Gunners game could also see them return to the top four after dropping out of it in the past few weeks thanks to inconsistent performances.

Speaking of inconsistent performances, no team exemplifies it like Manchester United.

They are yoyo-ing back and forth between sixth and eighth place on the Premier League table because of how inconsistent they are. Fans are unhappy and players cannot seem to muster the right energy on the pitch to grind out victories. Where they have won games, it has been due to individual brilliance more than a team effort.

This is why this match with Postecoglou’s Spurs is very important for ten Hag.

The 53-year-old Dutchman is believed to be walking on a tightrope thanks to the recent investment by Sir Jim Ratcliffe which grants him control over the football affairs of Manchester United. 

It is also believed that the 71-year-old business mogul will be at his first Manchester United game since his investment was ratified. He will be taking notes and ten Hag will be worried about making sure they are positive.

The match will also be a reintroduction to the Premier League for Timo Werner, who signed for Spurs from RB Leipzig earlier this week.

He is already in training and in line to make the matchday squad for the trip to Old Trafford. His appearance is a doubt but should he be given his first minutes in the game, he will be eager to prove his doubters wrong by scoring his first goal against Manchester United having faced them four times in the past as a Chelsea player without scoring or assisting.

As both teams prepare to welcome us back to the Premier League, let us take a look at their form guides which will help predict how they will fare against each other to make proper betting decisions.

Form Guide: Manchester United

Manchester United have a record of one win, one draw and three losses from their last five Premier League games.

Their attacking returns are the poorest of the teams in the top half of the table. They are also the only team with a negative goal difference in the top half of the table. However, they can count their defence as being solid enough because they are joint-fourth with second-placed for the least goals conceded in the league.

Erik ten Hag is aware that this will not cut it against Spurs, especially in the possible presence of his new boss.

The Red Devils will be buoyed by their progression in the FA Cup during the week, however, which was one of their better performances in recent memory. They will also be motivated by their most recent results against Spurs and will not want to stretch their winless streak against their North London rivals.

Form Guide: Tottenham Hotspur

From their last five Premier League outings, the Lilywhites have four wins and one loss. This is one of the best records in the league at the moment, alongside Manchester City and Liverpool.

This also puts them as one of the most in-form teams in the league, which will worry ten Hag and his Manchester United team greatly.

Attacking-wise, they are third-placed for the most goals scored in the league. This is despite the absence of one of their most creative outlets in James Maddison, who is sidelined for a while with a long-term injury.

However, with the absence of captain Heung-Min Son due to the Asian Games, as well as the absences of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr due to the Africa Cup of Nations, their attack potency has been halved. This is where Werner could come in but he is not expected to provide a big threat against United.

Postecoglou has already defeated United this season when they visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That was Spurs’ first win over the 20-time Premier League champions in five matches. He will not want to lose the unbeaten streak that they have got going.

What to expect from the match

A new-look Spurs side will tread carefully at Old Trafford despite the lack of confidence in the Red Devils’ side.

Postecoglou will line up an attack line that he will hope to navigate the months of January and February with, due to the absences of his key players. ten Hag, on the other hand, will not change his lineup greatly and his style of play.

The game will be fast-paced, regardless, as is typical of Premier League fixtures. There will be a lot of missed chances and a lot of midfield play as both teams seek to carefully break each other’s defences.

Goals will come late in the game because both teams have a knack for late goals. No attackers will find the back of the net and in the end, fans will be underwhelmed.

The game is transitional for Spurs but with Manchester United, it will be more of the same.

Betting predictions

Over 1.5 goals

Both teams have not featured in goalless draws often this season. Manchester United’s only goalless draw to date came against Liverpool in December while Spurs have not featured in any goalless draw yet. Both teams, however, have won games with a lone goal. While it is unlikely that both teams fail to score, the safest bet will be an over/under bet with a stake of over 1.5 goals. The reasons are Manchester United’s poor attacking returns and Spurs’ much-changed attack thanks to the absences of Son and Maddison.

William Hill is offering 1.40 odds for this to happen.

Double chance (12) – Man Utd or Spurs to win

We will go out on a limb and say that there will be a clear winner from this game. Who that winner will be, we cannot say. This is why we are going with a double chance 12 bet as our second tip. Both teams are coming off FA Cup victories and are match-ready. However, both teams are also lacking in a bit of confidence – Spurs’ being due to injuries and absences of key players; United’s being due to a bad Premier League run. This means that they will tread carefully against each other and punish each other’s errors. Either team will win this game.

William Hill is offering 1.35 odds for a winner to emerge in this fixture.

Anytime scorer – Richarlison

The Brazilian is currently Spurs’ star man with Son away on international duty. He has also found his scoring botos for the Lilywhites, having scored in four of his last five Premier League games for the club. He is even more dangerous with Son away, giving him free rein of the attack line. Manchester United will have a hard time containing him and he will bag a goal thanks to the defensive errors they are known to commit.

All odds are via William Hill and all info valid as of the time of writing.

Odds could differ now.