Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will both be looking to boost their top-four chances when they go head-to-head at Wembley on Wednesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino's side were held to a 1-1 draw by League Two outfit Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the weekend, with Harry Kane's late equaliser sparing Spurs' blushes at Rodney Parade. It was a disappointing performance and result for the north Londoners and one which adds another unwelcome fixture to their schedule; in their previous match, meanwhile, Tottenham were rather flat in a 1-1 draw with struggling Southampton. There is a need, then, for Pochettino and his players to bounce back when Manchester United come to town this week, particularly as a failure to emerge victorious in front of their own supporters could see Spurs slip five points behind the Champions League qualification spots.
Jose Mourinho's men head into this clash with an eight-point buffer zone between themselves and fifth-placed Tottenham, so victory in the capital would be a huge result in their bid to qualify for next season's edition of the Champions League. After a slight wobble over the festive period - the Red Devils drew with Leicester City, Burnley and Southampton - United have now won three in a row in the league, while they also thrashed Yeovil Town 4-0 in the FA Cup last time out. With Alexis Sanchez having signed from Arsenal and Mourinho having put pen to paper on a new contract in the last week, there is a palpable feeling of optimism around Old Trafford at present.
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Serge Aurier (ankle), Erik Lamela (leg), Harry Winks (ankle) and Danny Rose (knee) have all been nursing injuries and will need to be assessed before kick-off, but Christian Eriksen will almost certainly return to the starting XI following a bout of illness. Son Heung-min has established himself as a key member of the team this term and will be important again here, with Dele Alli, Eriksen and Kane making up the rest of the front four; at the back, Toby Alderweireld could play in the Premier League for the first time since October - his last top-flight appearance came in the reverse fixture against United - after shaking off a hamstring injury, but a place on the substitutes' bench is perhaps more likely than a spot in the starting line-up.
United will be unable to call upon the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (knee), Eric Bailly (knee) and Daley Blind (muscular). Mourinho may employ a 4-3-3 formation with two holding midfielders alongside Paul Pogba, who can sometimes be caught out defensively when one half of a pair in the engine room. United will be content to take a reactive approach by sitting deep and springing forward on the counter-attack, but they must ensure they commit enough bodies forward and ask questions of Tottenham in the home side's defensive third. At the top of the pitch, new signing Sanchez is certainly capable of taking advantage of any space he may be afforded in and around the penalty area.
Spurs have struggled in some games at Wembley this term, but it is notable that their record in the big games at home - Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool - is strong, with the exception of August's defeat by Premier League champions Chelsea. United have been the second best team in the division up to now, but they may struggle to find the right balance at Wembley, which could play into the hands of the hosts.
This will probably be a tight encounter between two sides with good defensive records, but on balance it could be worth backing Tottenham to come out on top in a game featuring fewer than 2.5 goals. As far as the goalscorer markets are concerned, Son looks like a decent bet to find the back of the net anytime.
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