The Tottenham vs Manchester United Premier League clash this evening is an eagerly anticipated one for both sets of fans and neutrals alike.
Tottenham kicked off their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a draw against Brentford last weekend whilst Manchester United were fortunate to get all three points against Wolves at Old Trafford.
Despite the fact that we are only on match-day two of the season, this one feels like a really important game for both teams.
Ange Postecoglou’s task is to get Spurs back into the top four, but that will be far from easy given the fact that Harry Kane has left to join Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag is now in his second season as Man United boss, and having spent an absolute fortune, nothing less than a Premier League title challenge and success in Europe will do.
So what could a win, a defeat or a draw mean for both clubs this evening?
Tottenham vs Manchester United: What a win, defeat or draw could mean for both sides
Now, Man United need a better performance first and foremost. A victory will obviously be vital for them as well.
A draw will probably be seen as a decent result – going away to Spurs is never easy after-all. However, a defeat would undoubtedly ramp up the pressure on Ten Hag. That said, it could also be argued that a loss would send a strong message to the Man United owners that new signings are need.
A deal to sign Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina seems to be stalling. Purely just playing Devil’s advocate here – would a defeat for Man United today be beneficial in the long-term for them, in the sense that it might expedite one or two new arrivals? Possibly.
Meanwhile, Spurs aren’t in as much of a pressure cooker situation as Manchester United are.
Postecoglou isn’t a miracle worker, and things won’t change overnight at Tottenham. Whilst a win would be a huge confidence boost for the Spurs players and the manager, it won’t end up defining their season.
Ange will need time for the players to get used to his footballing philosophy and system. He’ll probably need at least two more transfer windows as well. Whether he’s given the time needed to turn Spurs around remains to be seen, but the result today won’t have any bearing on a) his future or b) the remainder of their transfer business this summer.
The Tottenham vs Manchester United clash should be a great watch for both sets of fans, but I have a feeling that it’s a more important game for the visitors than it is for the hosts.