Spurs v Man Utd Prediction - Don't get your hopes up

It would be fair to say that the Premier League's restart has been underwhelming but not unsurprising. Coming back to play competitive football after a 3-month break with just a couple of behind closed doors friendlies by way of preparation is not ideal. The primary reason for finishing this season at all has been money and there is no other real argument that you could make for why we are seeing undercooked professionals playing in front of empty stadiums. Still, tonight's fixture does give me a chance to watch my beloved Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since March and as is the case with any true Spurs fan, I can't help but hope we'll be better after the restart. As they say, it's the hope that kills you...

Both these sides have benefited from the break in the sense that they've managed to get a number of key players off the treatment table. I hesitate at saying "back to fitness" because it's highly unlikely that players such as Harry Kane or Paul Pogba are going to hit the ground running following lengthy layoffs.

For Spurs the lack of a backup striker to cover an injured Kane has been a problem since time itself began and you know you're getting desperate when you hear fans talking of Fernando Llorente in glowing terms. Heung-Min Son has done his best to paper over some of the cracks but with him also absent from the side just prior to lockdown then Spurs were really struggling to provide a consistent goal-scoring threat.

Injuries, however, should not be seen as the sole factor to Spurs underwhelming season. Their build-up play has been ponderous and predictable and they seem to lack any urgency in the final third which has resulted in them delivering an average of just 12 shots at goal per game during the season to date, their lowest in the Premier League for the last 12 years. Harry Kane's return might help rectify that but remember this is a player who is famed for his slow starts to seasons so perhaps we shouldn't bank on him from the off.

At the other end, you could argue things have been even worse for this Spurs side who have managed just 4 clean sheets so far this season, fewer than any other side in the league. Getting the balance between attack and defence has not been something that Mourinho has managed to crack so far and while his press conference yesterday evening suggested that Spurs wouldn't be spending big money in the summer there is a definite need for reinforcements in the full-back positions as well as a holding midfielder. The return of Ben Davies may help to give a team that has looked very lopsided in their set-up a little more balance towards the left but again how much of an impact he can have following his own long-term injury remains to be seen.

As for United, the lockdown probably came at the worst possible time. They had just beaten bitter rivals City and were on a good run in general. Those results plus the signing of Bruno Fernandes had taken the spotlight away from the perpetually absent Paul Pogba and you felt that the squad was finally beginning to establish some form of identity. How Solskjaer manages Pogba's re-introduction both from a man-management and tactical standpoint to play alongside Fernandes may well determine whether United can maintain that momentum post-break. Pogba's attitude will also be something to watch for. It seemed likely that a move away from Old Trafford would occur this summer but with the market dynamics having changed as a result of COVID-19 he may yet be forced to knuckle down and put together the kind of form that has generally alluded him since his return to the Premier League.

United have been a side that looks at its best breaking from deep with the likes of Rashford, Martial and James all having the kind of pace to worry defenders in behind. In what looks likely to be a fairly low key game it remains to be seen how many opportunities they will have to play in that manner and with Spurs aforementioned struggles in attack, I feel that this one is unlikely to be added to the many classics these 2 have fought out over the course of the Premier League's history.

Prediction: Under 2.5 goals at odds of 1.94 or better

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