Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson is expecting an action-packed contest when Manchester United face Spurs at Old Trafford this weekend.
Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson said he could see both sides scoring in what could be an end-to-end affair
“It’s so hard to predict Manchester United but one thing is for sure – they tend to show up when their backs are up against the wall. I predict a lorry-load of goals in this one and will be shocked if it ends goalless.”
Merson believes the two teams will ultimately end up sharing the spoils and he has predicted a 2-2 draw.
Which United team will show up?
The lack of consistency is one of the main issues that manager Erik ten Hag has faced this season. After beating Chelsea at home last month, they managed to lose 3-0 to Bournemouth.
That pattern continued when they came from behind to beat Aston Villa on Boxing Day prior to suffering a defeat against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest. You wouldn’t put it past United getting the 3 points on Sunday but a lot will depend on the attitude of the players and who is available for selection.
United’s injury list is still pretty lengthy
Ten Hag confirmed at his pre-match press conference on Friday that Luke Shaw, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Amad Diallo would all be back in contention for the Tottenham clash.
The likes of Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof won’t be available for the weekend. It means up to 5 players will be absent, including Sofyan Amrabat who is away with Morocco at the African Cup of Nations.
Andre Onana has been given permission by Cameroon to play on Sunday but he will fly out to join his national team following the game.
