Tottenham and Manchester United face off in north London on Saturday in a match where both managers could do with a win to ease murmurs of disquiet around them. The pressure is certainly more pronounced for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who may have just three games left to save his job after Sunday’s disastrous loss to Liverpool.
The pressure is not currently as severe for Nuno Espirito Santo but the Tottenham head coach, recruited late in the summer, still has work to do to convince some supporters that he can coach the attacking football they crave. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Oct. 30 | Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London
TV: NBC | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Tottenham +188; Draw +250; Man United +138 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Tottenham: They might be unlikely to play regardless, but there is certain to be plenty of conversations around the involvement of Dele Alli and Harry Winks on Saturday after Nuno left them entirely out of the squad for an EFL Cup fourth round tie he described as a “cup final.” The latter has made no secret of his befuddlement at his decline from England international to Europa Conference League player, a similar trajectory which Dele has found himself on having struggled to make the most of starts earlier in the season in the Premier League.
“We have a training session tomorrow and we will assess all the players like we always do,” said Nuno. “They are our players so anything is possible, this is my answer.”
Manchester United: The spectre of Antonio Conte or perhaps Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag loom over Solskjaer as he prepares for three crucial matches against Tottenham, Atalanta and Manchester City before the international break. Is there anything he can do to keep his job? Nine points from nine might be it after his side’s woeful 5-0 defeat to Liverpool last week.
Surely, Solskjaer will make changes to that team but there are so many spots where improvement is needed that it is hard to know where he should begin. Harry Maguire looks like he has returned from injury too soon. Cristiano Ronaldo offers plenty with the ball but nothing without it whilst Bruno Fernandes looks to be stuck in the shadow of his compatriot.
Prediction
Spurs have plenty of weapons to give United a tough time,but they have a glaring vulnerability at set pieces that their visitors might just exploit. PICK: Tottenham 1, Manchester United 2