Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: 5 key battles | Premier League 2020-21
The 2020-21 edition of the Premier League continues with Manchester United taking on Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
The Red Devils are in buoyant mood following their mid-week success against Granada in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur will return to league action after a week since drawing 2-2 away at Newcastle United.
Manchester United are second in the Premier League table, with 60 points from 30 matches. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are in seventh place with 49 points and vying for a Champions League berth.
Manchester United will look to exact revenge for their 1-6 drubbing at the hands of Jose Mourinho's men in October. However, Manchester United have come a long way since then, stringing a series of wins to climb to second in the league table, while Tottenham Hotspur have blown hot and cold.
Nevertheless, an enticing matchup could ensue when the two teams lock horns on Sunday. On that note, let's have a look at five key battles that could determine the outcome of the game.
#1 Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)
Son Heung-Min is expected to retain his usual place in the Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup against Manchester United, taking up the left flank in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.
He could come up against Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has made a name for himself in the last few years by shutting down ace wingers.
Son is known to cut inside and attempt right-footed curlers or make darting runs inside the box, which means Wan-Bissaka will have to be positionally aware and not get caught napping.
The Spurs winger is also a proficient dribbler. With Wan-Bissaka also an expert tackler, this could be a mouth-watering matchup.
#2 Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur) vs Fred Rodrigues (Manchester United)
Tanguy Ndombele and Fred Rodrigues could duel in the middle of the park. But the duo will have different roles for their respective teams.
Ndombele will be expected to break the Manchester United press and release the Tottenham Hotspur forwards on the break. Rodrigues, meanwhile, will likely reprise his role of breaking up play and shuttling up and down the pitch.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will mostly likely command the Brazilian to disrupt Tanguy Ndombele's rhythm. So it will be intriguing to see which midfielder comes out on top in this enticing duel.
Also Read: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United — Combined XI | Premier League 2020-21.