Dimitar Berbatov makes prediction for Premier League encounter between Tottenham and Manchester United
Manchester United icon Dimitar Berbatov believes his former side will be held to a draw against Tottenham Hotspur. The two clubs will face each other in the Premier League on Saturday (August 19) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Red Devils had a stellar Premier League 2022-23 season, finishing third with 75 points and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the process. They also strengthened their squad by recruiting the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund this summer.
On the other hand, Tottenham struggled under Antonio Conte last season, finishing eighth with 60 points. To make matters worse, Bayern Munich recently signed club talisman Harry Kane, leaving them without a world-class forward.
However, Spurs look more threatening in attack under new manager Angelos Postecoglou. They played out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Brentford in their Premier League opener last weekend and were unlucky not to secure all three points.
Manchester United scraped a 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers to begin their season. The latter had numerous opportunities to secure a point but were unable to make the most of their chances.
Both clubs will be looking to put in better performances tomorrow. Berbatov predicted the game to end in a draw (via Metro):
"That’ll be a good game and I’ll be there. If Man United play like they did against Wolves, they’ll lose. Spurs did well to score two against Brentford but they need to be a bit stronger defensively. I think you could easily see a draw here."
Berbatov's Prediction: 2-2
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants to improve his side's away form ahead of Tottenham clash
United boss Erik ten Hag is determined for his side to improve their dismal away form as they get set to face Tottenham away tomorrow.
The Red Devils may have exceeded expectations last season but their one glaring weakness was their away form in the Premier League. Out of their 19 games, United won just eight games, drawing three, and losing eight. They also scored just 22 goals and conceded a whopping 33.
Another worrying statistic was against teams that finished in the top 10, Manchester United won just four points out of 27.
Ten Hag recently addressed these concerns and said (via Sky Sports):
"This is one of our aims this season. We have to step up in away games and bring higher levels because that is the foundation for more points. It's often to do with personality, so that's the demand from me on the players. We have to show more personality on the pitch to win such games and to gather more points."
Manchester United have a superior record against Spurs heading into tomorrow's game. The former are yet to lose a game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having played four games there (W2 D2). Spurs are also winless against United in their last five meetings, having last beaten them back in October of 2020.