Who needs the win more, United or Spurs?

After a shortened pre-season, the Premier League returned with a bang a few weeks ago. 2020/2021 has witnessed one of the highest scoring starts to a campaign ever and hopefully the goals will continue to flow for the rest of the year. This weekend is set to bring some more pulsating action, so make sure to check out the English Premier League Predictions for this week before placing your bets.
By far the standout tie of the weekend is Tottenham’s trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. Kicking off at 16:30pm GMT, the match sees Spurs boss José Mourinho returning to his former club, from where he departed in acrimonious circumstances back in 2018. Mourinho’s replacement, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be opposite him in the dugout and both managers will be desperate to secure a win. But on balance, which team needs the three points more?
United have begun the season looking a far cry from the devastating, counter-attacking side that lit up the Premier League after Christmas last year. In their opening fixtures, Crystal Palace secured a shock 3-1 victory over the Red Devils with former United charge Wilfried Zaha haunting his former club with a superb performance. A week later, Solskjaer’s side looked anything but convincing against Brighton, although they did manage to narrowly defeat the Seagulls 3-2.
United’s shaky opening to the season has led to the same familiar questions being levelled about their manager’s suitability to his post. Defensively, they look a mess, even after spending big on Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer. There is pressure for them to bring in some new recruits with Jadon Sancho the name was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford.
Amid this uncertainty, Solskjaer will be desperate to get a result against Spurs – who are set to be one of his side’s main rivals in the race for the top four. Defeat to Mourinho would be extremely damaging to the Norwegian’s job security and would also seriously harm United’s Premier League hopes.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are in similarly dire need of a result. So far, Spurs have endured a mixed start to the season, recording one win, one draw and one loss. Mourinho will feel particularly aggrieved at his side’s most recent Premier League result against Newcastle recently. They completed dominated proceedings, only for the Magpies to level things up in the 96th via a controversial penalty. Incredibly, it was their first and only shot on target during the entire game.
Tottenham will be particularly keen to get things back on track against United but the game comes in the middle of a ludicrously congested period of fixtures. Thanks to Europa League and EFL Cup commitments, it will be Spurs’ sixth game in just 14 days. Afterwards, they will enjoy a much-needed international break. What better way to go into a period of rest and recuperation then by getting one over your former club. Mourinho will be pulling out the stops to get a win over a direct rival.