Manchester United have their backs against the wall heading into a pivotal Monday night clash against Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils have not gotten off to a strong start this season. They easily could have lost to Leicester City in the opener and were soundly defeated by Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. Now, Tottenham comes to town hungry for three points and a loss at Old Trafford might be the beginning of the end of the Jose Mourinho era. Mourinho knows how important this match is and will do everything he can to win it.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Old Trafford in Manchester at 3 p.m. ET on Monday, August 27, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
Tottenham Hotspur +178
Manchester United +154
Draw +226
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
Tottenham Hotspur are off to a good start this season. Spurs picked up a win in their first match of the year, knocking off a dangerous Newcastle United side 2-1. Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli each scored inside of 18 minutes for the club, but they were a bit fortunate to get the win. The defense was shaky, and the Magpies had some great chances for an equalizer.
Spurs were more convincing in their victory over Fulham last weekend. They reigned down shots on Fulham’s goal all throughout the match, ending the game with 25 total shots and 11 shots on goal. Lucas Moura opened the scoring for Tottenham in the 43rd minute with a beautiful strike after narrowly missing earlier in the half, and Kieran Trippier buried a free kick to make it 2-1 in the 74th minute. Magic man Harry Kane notched the deciding goal just three minutes later, giving Spurs six points in two matches.
It’s been a rough start to the season for Manchester United. The Red Devils lost the possession battle in a 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the first game of the season, and both of their goals were somewhat fortunate. They won a somewhat dubious penalty to open the scoring, and Luke Shaw was a bit lucky to find a second goal for United late.
Everything fell apart in the loss to Brighton last week. Manchester United defended poorly throughout the game, letting the Seagulls have a number of good chances on the counter. Brighton were able to score three times in the first half and held on from there to pick up a 3-2 victory.
Key Injuries
Both Tottenham and Manchester United have a number of players that will be unavailable for this match. For Tottenham, Son Heung-Min is out for the next few weeks as he plays for South Korea at the Asian Games, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Vincent Janssen, Juan Marcos Foyth, and Victor Wanyama are out with injuries. Joshua Onomah may return, but he is listed as doubtful.
As for Manchester United, Sergio Romero, Diogo Dalot, and Marcos Rojo are all out because of injury. Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia, and Nemanja Matic are considered questionable and getting any one of those three back would be a big boost for the club. Alexis Sanchez looks like he will miss the match too though, and he is listed as doubtful.
Coaching Angle
Mourinho is not a sympathetic figure, so there is plenty of smirking when his teams start to crumble. However, there’s a reason he is considered one of the best managers in the world. He has circled the wagons and rallied the team numerous times before this, and I expect him to do the same thing in this game. Otherwise, everything may start to fall apart.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
There’s a lot of value in Manchester United here. It’s not often that you see the Red Devils with +odds at home, so jump at the opportunity to play them. Tottenham have not looked like world beaters either, but they have yet to be punished for some of their mistakes. I think Manchester United will be able to do that here.
English Premier League Odds: Manchester United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0
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