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Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Two Concerns for United Ahead of the Match

Subhadeep Roy · · 3 min read

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Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Two Concerns for United Ahead of the Match
Hull City v Manchester United, ManU – Premier League 2026 27 HULL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick during the Premier League 2026 27 match between Hull City and Manchester United at MKM Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Hull, England. ***Local Caption*** Michael Carrick Hull MKM Stadium England United Kingdom Copyright: xVisionhausx 776515657

The Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match will take place on Saturday, October 10, as Premier League football resumes after a long international break. The Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match will be a chance for the Red Devils to redeem themselves, as they have five points from five matches.

Tottenham are even worse off with two points in five matches and are languishing at the bottom of the league table. However, that does not mean that Manchester United’s job will be easy.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Two Concerns for Manchester United

1. Deciding on the Back Four

The dilemma for Michael Carrick will be whether to play Leny Yoro on Saturday. Yoro made his debut for France recently. He has also played in four matches for Manchester United this season.

However, there are also Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, both of whom might be given preference to start over Yoro. Manchester United have conceded eight goals in five Premier League matches this season so far, and therefore, Carrick might be tempted to drop Maguire and start Yoro alongside Martinez.

There is debate about the starting left-back as well. Patrick Dorgu has recently started as the left-back, with Luke Shaw clearly past his prime now. Carrick will have to decide whether he should give Dorgu another go as the left-back or play Shaw in that position.

As a result, it remains to be seen what Manchester United’s back four looks like in the Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match.

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2. Deciding Whether to Play Matheus Cunha in the Starting XI

Cunha rescued Manchester United with a late equaliser against Fulham in their last match after coming on as a substitute. Playing Cunha as the left-winger will mean dropping Marcus Rashford, who is yet to score a goal or register any assists this season so far.

In a match against an underwhelming Tottenham, United might think of playing Benjamin Sesko from the very beginning in pursuit of an early goal. In that case, Cunha should start on the left flank, dropping Rashford to the bench.

That is another call Carrick will have to make in the Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match.

Extra Time Notes

Manchester United are already 10 points adrift of Manchester City, the table-toppers. In order to keep themselves in the race for a top-four finish, the Red Devils will have to start winning matches more frequently.

Given Tottenham’s performance in the Premier League in recent times, a Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match should be considered an easy one. It is a match Carrick should aim to win, if he is to get rid of the pressure mounting on him.

However, Tottenham can strike back and come up with an inspiring display. Hence, picking the correct team should be the priority for the Red Devils in the Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur match. It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can raise the level of their performance to obtain three points in the match and thereby give their league campaign a fresh impetus.

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Subhadeep Roy

Subhadeep Roy is an experienced football writer with a particular interest in analysis of matches and club news. He follows the Premier League primarily and has been covering football for various websites since 2018. He has written for websites like sportskeeda.com and playing for 90 in the past. He has done his MBA in 2009 and has been following his passion for sports by writing on it for almost a decade now.

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