Tottenham vs. Manchester United : Preview, Odds, Predictions (April 27)

‍Initial Thoughts

Seven points higher in the league and on a three game hot streak, Manchester United come into this matchup ready to punish Tottenham and returning interim manager Ryan Mason.

The Narrative

Cristian Stellini’s stint as interim manager didn't get off to too bad a start in the wake of Antonion Conte’s departure at the end of March.

Only a 90th minute equalizer prevented Spurs from taking all three points away to Everton, and Stellini’s side followed that up with a 2-1 home win in a bad-tempered game against high-flying Brighton.

From there the situation nosedived though, with a run of losses that goes some way towards summing up Tottenham Hotspur’s sorry season.

An 88th minute equalizer against bottom club Bournemouth was eclipsed by Dango Ouattara’s dramatic 95th minute winner. And then a switch to a back four against Newcastle saw the North London side 4-0 down inside 20 minutes at St James Park, eventually running out 6-1 losers on the day.

Stellini’s departure in the wake of that defeat means Tottenham are now on their third manager of the campaign, with Ryan Mason stepping up for the remaining games of the season.

It’s second time Mason has filled in at the business end of the campaign, and last time round his appointment did give rise to the fabled ‘new manager bounce’.

The ex-Spurs midfielder won four of his seven matches in charge in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure at the end of  the 2020/2021 season.

Tottenham need to bounce back in style against Manchester United on Thursday night, but they face a tough task against a Red Devil’s side looking for a fourth consecutive victory in the league.

Nuts and Bolts

After failing to win or score for three Premier League games on the bounce, United have regained their composure and momentum, picking up wins against Brenton, Everton and Forest in the league and booking a place in the FA Cup final courtesy of a win on penalties against Brighton last weekend.

Erik Ten Hag’s side did suffer elimination from the Europa League after a 5-2 aggregate loss to Sevilla, but defeat in Spain was largely due to the absence of Varane and Martinez - not to mention the inclusion of accident prone Harry Maguire.

United looked much safer in the FA Cup semi-final with Luke Shaw replacing Maguire as center back, and impressed with a clean sheet against De Zerbi’s free-scoring side at Wembley.

Should the Red Devils keep a clean sheet against Spurs on Thursday night it will be the first time in the post-Ferguson era that they’ve recorded four consecutive top flight wins without conceding. 

 But that would prove to be a significant achievement considering Spurs have failed to score in only one of their last 12 league matches, with the lethal duo of Kane and Son Heung-min always deadly on the break.

Homestand Picks

All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets

Manchester United moneyline (+143)

Spurs will get a bounce with Mason at the helm and it would be hard for them to look any worse than they did against Spurs. We’re betting it won’t be enough to contain this United side though.

Manchester United Over 1.5 goals (+100)

The Red Devils racked up five goals from five different scorers in their last three league matches, and after Tottenham’s awful first half showing last week Ten Hag’s side should have plenty of chances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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