Manchester United:
Injuries: In his pre-match press conference, Louis van Gaal confirmed van Persie will be the only player out for the game due to injury. Marcos Rojo will need to take a fitness test to determine his availability after picking up a knock against Arsenal on Monday. In addition, Jonny Evans will be serving the second of his six match ban for the altercation with Papiss Cisse against Newcastle and Angel di Maria will serve his one match suspension for the red card against Arsenal.
Last 5 matches: W-L-W-W-L
Likely formation: Remains to be seen. Van Gaal could elect to revert to playing in a 5-3-2 because of di Maria’s absence, or he could choose to keep with the formation and play Januzaj on the right side. Rojo’s absence could also influence the defensive setup.
Storyline:
Coming off of an excruciating loss to the Gunners on Monday, United will look to right the ship with Champions League qualification in the balance. The FA Cup loss was a tale of two halves, as United dominated the first half, despite allowing the opening goal, but were outplayed in the second. The defense made several critical mistakes, including Valencia’s errant back pass to de Gea, in addition to poor positioning out of the entire right side of the team. In attack, United moved the ball well in the first half but were largely lacking creativity in the second, some attributing this to Carrick coming on at the half. Hopefully van Gaal will have realized that Blind and Carrick cannot play alongside each other as the two are far too similar in playing style.
With di Maria suspended for the match, it will be interesting to see what formation and squad van Gaal chooses to go with in his absence. If he were to stay with the 4-2-3-1 that has provided mixed results for the Red Devils, the likely replacement would be Januzaj on the right side. Still, he may decide to revert to a 5-3-2, which would mean bringing on another striker. It’s difficult to see that happening as Falcao failed to produce this week while playing for the U21s. Even still, van Gaal could utilize a diamond in the midfield, with Blind at holding, Herrera and Mata central, and Fellaini at attacking. Unfortunately, that would mean a lack of width and United would likely be exposed down the flanks by the likes of Tottenham’s wingers Lamela, Chadli, and Townsend.
I personally think this game will be decided in United’s defensive third. Harry Kane comes into the matchup in sensational form, winning Player of the Month in the Premier League for the second consecutive month. Should Rojo miss the match, the likely central defensive pairing would be Smalling and Jones. The two would need plenty of help from the wide backs and contributions from the holding midfielder, be it Blind or Carrick. If the defenders can manage to stifle Kane for the full 90, the match up starts to look more favorable. Easier said than done, however. Also of note is the possible inclusion of Rafael at the right side of the defense. With Valencia having perhaps his worst game of the season in Monday’s match and Rafael putting forth a good showing in a match for the U21s, this would appear to be the Brazilian’s best opportunity to make it back into the starting lineup. Should van Gaal choose Valencia over Rafael, one would think it could be an end to the right back’s time at United.
Tottenham:
Injuries: Tottenham will be at full strength for the game.
Last 5 Matches: L-D-L-W-W
Likely formation: 4-2-3-1
Storyline:
Tottenham are in a similar situation to United entering the match up. Like United, Tottenham’s season will finish with the chief objective being Champions League qualification after losing in the League Cup and bowing out of the Europa League, as well as an early exit in the FA Cup. Tottenham supporters will be desperate for UCL play next season, though for different reasons than United supporters. Spurs have only been able to qualify for the Europa League in recent seasons, so the club and fans alike will both be craving top level European competition.
The keys to success for Tottenham will be Harry Kane’s continued dominance as well as improvement out of the defensive players. Again, similar to United, Tottenham’s defense has been shuffled week in and week out, with no definite back four having been settled upon. Jan Vertonghen, Erik Dier, and Youhnes Kaboul are just some of the names that come to mind when thinking of Spurs’ defenders this season. They’ll likely need to contend with a lone striker from United this Sunday, unless van Gaal elects to add another striker to the attacking line.
Prediction: Both teams will come out to win the game in hopes of getting a crucial three points in the final stretch for a top four finish. Louis van Gaal said in his press conference that the United players have reacted well to the defeat against Arsenal, but we will only know for sure come game time. For United, it will be crucial to deliver a stout defensive performance, as well as improved play from the midfield with more forward passes rather than side to side or backwards. For Tottenham, they’ll need to defend United’s star studded attacking line, which will likely consist of Rooney, Young, Herrera, Blind, and possibly Juan Mata. I have a feeling United’s defenders will make a mistake to cost us a goal, either from Harry Kane or Christian Eriksen. Still, I expect United’s attack to be too much to handle for the Spurs back line, especially in front of the Old Trafford faithful.
United 3 – 1
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