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The Europa League has a habit of offering up unexpected away days for football fans, as clubs travel to all corners of Europe to compete for the continental competition. As such, die-hard fans are expected to rack up the air miles, but when it comes to Tottenham Hotspurs’s opponents on Thursday, they’ll be used to the long flights. To make the trip to North London for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final clash against Spurs, Bodø/Glimt and their most loyal fans will need to depart the Arctic Circle and travel 1,926 miles southwest. And for every single one of them, it’ll be a trip worth making.

With Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United locking horns in the other Europa League tie, Bodø/Glimt are unquestionably the only minnows left in this season’s European competition. However, after finishing ninth in the initial group table, only to then beat FC Twente, Olympiacos and then Lazio in truly dramatic fashion on penalties, the Norwegian side have certainly made a habit of upsetting the odds in Europe. Not bad for a club that only returned to the top flight of Norwegian football in 2018 and are based in a village with a smaller population than most Spurs home games. So how did Bodø/Glimt go from irrelevance in the Tippeligaen to giant killers in the Europa League?

Club Comparison

Tottenham Hotspur

FK Bodø/Glimt

Premier League

Eliteserien

€836.10m

Market Value

€43.15m

First Tier

League Level

First Tier

€175.35m

Expenditures 24/25

€6.99m

Ange Postecoglou

Managers

Kjetil Knutsen

Full Club Comparison

The Kjetil Knutsen factor

The one man that has been a constant throughout Bodø/Glimt rise up the ranks domestically and on the continent is manager Kjetil Knutsen. Hired half-way through their first season back in the top-flight, Knutsen has guided the club to four of the last five league championships in the Eliteserien. And alongside the domestic success, the club have also made waves in Europe, reaching the quarter finals of the Conference League against Roma in 2022. However, this season’s run in the Europa League is undoubtedly uncharted waters for the Nordic club. “I hope we are an example for all other teams. If we can do it, so can others,” said the 56-year-old tactician after their win over Lazio. “We showed ourselves on the international arena, and more people will come to play here. It will be a milestone for Norwegian football.”

To no great surprise, Knutsen has dominated Norwegian football since establishing himself at Bodø/Glimt in 2018, averaging an impressive 2.02 points per league game and picking up no less than 432 points over the course of 214 matches in Eliteserien. As we can see in the table above, no other manager in Norwegian football can come close to the Bodø/Glimt boss in that time, with the second best head coach being Molde boss Erling Moe, who has only picked up 371 points in that period of time. Albeit with 34 fewer games in the Norwegian top-flight.

Despite their minnows status, Knutsen demands that his teams play on the front foot. Typically playing a 4-3-3 formation, his teams play with a high press, try to make the most of quick transitions, and look to counter attack with impressive, attacking football. As such, they should prove to be an interesting test for Tottenham, who also play a similar style of football under Ange Postecoglou. Whether Spurs can stop them or if they’ll simply be the next giant slain by the Norwegian raiders remains to be seen. But either way, it should be an exciting game and one that the Norwegian club will give their all in.

Forward thinking on and off the pitch

Although Bodø/Glimt have spent more money than any other Norwegian club since the start of the 2018 season, their total expenditure on transfer fees stands at just €5.3m more than domestic rivals Molde. But when it comes to income made from player sales in that same period of time, Bodø/Glimt have profited to the tune of €77.3m - which stands at almost twice that of Molde’s (€45.2m) income from selling stars to bigger clubs in Europe. And that’s because the club are experts at identifying and developing young players in Norwegian football. Whether it be Jens Petter Hauge, Victor Boniface or Albert Grønbæk, who left the club last summer to join Stade Rennais for €15m, the Norwegian club have outsmarted their domestic rivals off the pitch just as well as they’ve outplayed them on it. Which goes some way to explaining why the club can lay claim to no less than four of the Eliteserien’s 10 biggest sales of all time.

When it comes to the current crop of future stars in the Bodø/Glimt team, Tottenham fans will want to be wary of 21-year-old right-back Fredrik Sjøvold, who has started all but one of the club’s Europa League games to date. Alongside him in defence will most likely be 20-year-old central defender Villads Nielsen, who joined the club from Nordsjaelland’s youth team and has already broken into Knutsen’s first team with his excellent, defensive performances. But the player that Postecoglou will be warning his team about the most will be star striker Kasper Høgh, who has bagged no fewer than 14 goals and four assists in 22 games for the club this season, including no less than three goals in the two legs against Olympiacos.

Whether or not Knutsen’s impressive tactics and the club’s smart recruitment will be enough to overcome Tottenham remains to be seen. At the end of the day, the Premier League giants are facing a club with a combined market value of just €43.1m - less than one Brennan Johnson. But, as Knutsen pointed out after the Lazio game, Bodø/Glimt have already done Norwegian football proud in Europe this season. And remain an impressive example for clubs all over Europe to follow.

Tottenham announced on Tuesday that young midfielder star Lucas Bergvall had signed a new deal with the club that will keep the 19-year-old talent at the club until the summer of 2031. The new contract, which will reflect the player’s growing stature in Ange Postecoglou’s side, is a two-year extension on the deal Bergvall signed last summer, when he made the move to Spurs from Djurgården for €10 million.

Although the central midfielder was initially signed as a prospect who could potentially earn some game time off the bench in his first season at the club, an unprecedented number of injuries thrust Bergvall into the team’s first-team plans. Since mid-December, the Swedish star has been a regular for Postecoglou’s side in the Premier League. To date, he has one goal and four assists in 45 games across all competitions and has now started no fewer than 32 percent of Tottenham’s league games this season. As such, a new deal for the young star to better reflect his role in the team makes perfect sense.

Bergvall’s adaptability has made him a vitally important player to Tottenham this season. Played out left, as a defensive midfielder or even as an attacking playmaker, the young Swede seems to be perfectly content doing a job in just about any position in Postecoglou’s team. When asked about the player’s talent in January, the Spurs boss said: “Usually, midfielders will tend to be one or the other, but he seems to cover the defensive side of the game, have the technical ability to dictate tempos but also have the running capacity to break lines.”

As a rare source of hope in a deeply troubled season, Spurs fans have enjoyed watching Bergvall go from strength to strength for the club this season. So much so that Bergvall has already overtaken Yves Bissouma in Postecoglou’s midfield pecking order and will likely supplant Pape Matar Sarr too as a first-choice starter for the club’s midfield next season. Along the way, the midfielder’s market value has more than doubled from €12m to €25m during his first season in North London, making Bergvall the third most valuable midfielder aged 19 or younger in world football.

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Tottenham have endured another miserable Premier League season with the North London club languishing in 14th position, but the Europa League could provide a silver lining. Ange Postecoglou is under significant pressure but winning their first silverware since the League Cup in 2008 would ultimately represent a successful season. But after edging past AZ Alkmaar in the last round, Tottenham face Bundesliga high-flyers Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.

Club Comparison

Tottenham Hotspur

Eintracht Frankfurt

Premier League

Bundesliga

€836.10m

Market Value

€323.05m

First Tier

League Level

First Tier

€175.35m

Expenditures 24/25

€76.85m

Ange Postecoglou

Managers

Dino Toppmöller

Full Club Comparison

Frankfurt famously won the competition in 2022, beating Rangers in the final and they’ll be confident of progressing past Spurs. Despite losing star play Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January, Frankfurt currently sit third in the Bundesliga and are battling to secure Champions League football next season. So what can Tottenham expect from their quarter-final opponents? We’ve received the lowdown from Transfermarkt’s Bundesliga expert, Tobias Picker.

How good have Frankfurt been this season?

After finishing an impressive 6th in the Bundesliga last season, Frankfurt have improved this season under the guidance of highly-rated manager Dino Toppmoller. Frankfurt don’t possess the financial resources of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig or Bayer Leverkusen but they’ve developed a reputation for nurturing talented attacking talent across the last few years. There’s currently seven German clubs competing for two Champions League places with Frankfurt third on 48 points, but Stuggart in ninth are only eight points behind with six games remaining.

“The current strong third place actually reflects more the inconsistency of their rivals,” Picker said. “Nevertheless, Frankfurt still has a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League — which would be a tremendous success given the circumstances at the start of the season.”

Who is Frankfurt’s most dangerous player?

Marmoush was undoubtedly Frankfurt’s star performer with 15 league goals before Manchester City splashed €75 million to sign the Egyptian in January. Frankfurt, however, still have a squad brimming with talent, including Hugo Ekitiké. The French striker joined permanently for €16.5m in the summer from PSG but his market value increased by +€35m across the campaign to €55m. German football expert Picker, however, has identified a household name as a Frankfurt player that Tottenham will need to be wary of.

“At the moment, Mario Götze is definitely an important factor,” he added, “Not least in the round of 16 against Ajax, he steered the game and, now firmly occupying the number ten role if possible, showcased his class – even apart from his three goals in March. A big problem now appears to be the wings, especially after the injury of Ansgar Knauff that led to Götze having to cover the right wing. Obviously, with him on the right, missing in the central, Frankfurt struggles more.”

What are Frankfurt’s strengths and weaknesses?

“The significant drop in attacking threat - as seen most recently in the 2-0 defeat in Bremen - is still clearly a symptom of Marmoush's departure,” Picker added. “Until his move to Manchester, Frankfurt averaged 2.2 goals per game. Afterwards, that number dropped to just 1.3, along with a fairly average points tally. Frankfurt has also been quite inconsistent this season, although they’ve had to make some fundamental changes in key positions.

Match Centre - Tottenham Hotspur : Southampton FC  Transfermarkt

Yusuf Akçiçek is one of the rising stars of Turkish football and his exploits at Fenerbahçe earned him a monumental market value upgrade in the recent Süper Lig update. The 19-year-old progressed through the academy of Galatasaray before joining their fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in 2019. Akçiçek made his professional debut against Ludogorets in the Europa Conference League in November 2023 but he has truly flourished this season to become a first-team player. The powerful centre-back has been entrusted by José Mourinho and has made 15 appearances in all competitions with his first goal arriving against Anderlecht in the Europa League.

Akçiçek’s performances have caught the attention of major European clubs and Mourinho drew comparisons to Real Madrid legend Raphael Varane after Fenerbahce’s 0-0 draw with Galatasaray. “I don't want to compare him to Rapha Varane because he has won four Champions Leagues, World Cup and won everything,” said Mourinho. “But I had Rapha Varane when he was 18 and I was not wrong. And I am not wrong with this kid. (He has a) big personality and is very confident.”

Yusuf Akçiçek’s soaring market value

Akçiçek earned his first market value of €50k in November 2023 as a 17-year-old and that rose €150k in October 2024. But the Fenerbahce starlet’s valuation skyrocketed by €5.35 million in March’s Super Lig update to €5.5m. It was a reward for Akçiçek standout performances and he’s also on the verge of making his senior Turkiye debut after being called up for the Nations League double header against Hungary. Akçiçek is now the fourth most valuable U21 player in Turkiye and he had the biggest market value upgrade of any Super Lig player during the update.

Lara Karacan, Transfermarkt’s Super Lig expert, said: “Akçiçek is a rising talent of Turkish football, who earned high praise from Mourinho. The injury problems at Fenerbahçe gave Yusuf valuable playing time and he impressed with consistently strong performances in key games. Akçiçek also proved in the heated derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe that he can perform even under immense pressure. His rapid rise has not gone unnoticed by the top clubs - scouts from Manchester United and Tottenham have already watched him live. Historically, his market value has seen a percentage increase that has never been seen before at Fenerbahçe."

Who wants to sign Yusuf Akçiçek?

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome AZ Alkmaar to North London for the second leg of their Europa League play-off with high hopes of overturning a 1-0 deficit in the first leg and progressing to the next round of the competition. But for manager Ange Postecoglou and his wary squad, the match also stands as their last opportunity of winning silverware this season. And that point wasn’t lost on the Spurs manager ahead of the game.

"They've got the goal advantage but playing at home, if we can play with the intensity and tempo that we did in the weekend then I think we will have an opportunity to progress,” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference. And when he was asked about the need to win a trophy this season, Postecoglou rejected any notion that his team felt any added weight to this game. "No, no extra pressure,” added the Australian tactician. “We were obviously disappointed with our performance in the first leg. The important thing is we didn't make the tie impossible for us to get back into, it's still very tight.”

Tottenham's returning stars

One major bonus for Tottenham ahead of the game will be the return of a number of key players from injury, including Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Three defensive stalwarts that have often made up three quarters of Postecoglou’s preferred back four. And when we take a look at Tottenham’s record without and without Van de Ven in particular, we can quickly see just how much they’ve missed the towering Dutch defender.

Prior to Van de Ven’s long-term hamstring injury, Tottenham had won four and drawn one of their opening nine games of the season, which had the club sitting in seventh place. However, since then Tottenham have gone from bad to worse in the Premier League, falling as low as fifteenth in the table and now sit in thirteenth place. To no great surprise, Postecoglou’s side have performed far better with Van de Ven in the side, averaging 1.4 points per game when the Dutch defender has featured in a league game this season. In stark contrast, in the 18 league games that the 23-year-old defender has missed Tottenham have managed on average just 1.1 points per game.

In fact, when we consider the points per league game average of every player in the Tottenham squad this season, we can see that only two players that have played at least 10 games in the Premier League this season have a higher average than Van de Ven. At the top of the list is the club’s first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, followed by full-back Djed Spence in third place. To his immense credit, young star and relatively new signing Archie Gray has clearly made an instant impression at the club, ranking fifth in the squad when it comes to points per game when he’s on the pitch. Romero, often considered Tottenham's best central defender, ranks seventh in the squad with an average of 1.31.

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome AZ Alkmaar to North London for the second leg of their Europa League play-off with high hopes of overturning a 1-0 deficit in the first leg and progressing to the next round of the competition. But for manager Ange Postecoglou and his wary squad, the match also stands as their last opportunity of winning silverware this season. And that point wasn’t lost on the Spurs manager ahead of the game.

"They've got the goal advantage but playing at home, if we can play with the intensity and tempo that we did in the weekend then I think we will have an opportunity to progress,” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference. And when he was asked about the need to win a trophy this season, Postecoglou rejected any notion that his team felt any added weight to this game. "No, no extra pressure,” added the Australian tactician. “We were obviously disappointed with our performance in the first leg. The important thing is we didn't make the tie impossible for us to get back into, it's still very tight.”

Tottenham's returning stars

One major bonus for Tottenham ahead of the game will be the return of a number of key players from injury, including Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Three defensive stalwarts that have often made up three quarters of Postecoglou’s preferred back four. And when we take a look at Tottenham’s record without and without Van de Ven in particular, we can quickly see just how much they’ve missed the towering Dutch defender.

Prior to Van de Ven’s long-term hamstring injury, Tottenham had won four and drawn one of their opening nine games of the season, which had the club sitting in seventh place. However, since then Tottenham have gone from bad to worse in the Premier League, falling as low as fifteenth in the table and now sit in thirteenth place. To no great surprise, Postecoglou’s side have performed far better with Van de Ven in the side, averaging 1.4 points per game when the Dutch defender has featured in a league game this season. In stark contrast, in the 18 league games that the 23-year-old defender has missed Tottenham have managed on average just 1.1 points per game.

In fact, when we consider the points per league game average of every player in the Tottenham squad this season, we can see that only two players that have played at least 10 games in the Premier League this season have a higher average than Van de Ven. At the top of the list is the club’s first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, followed by full-back Djed Spence in third place. To his immense credit, young star and relatively new signing Archie Gray has clearly made an instant impression at the club, ranking fifth in the squad when it comes to points per game when he’s on the pitch. Romero, often considered Tottenham's best central defender, ranks seventh in the squad with an average of 1.31.

©IMAGO

The January transfer window is now little more than a distant memory in European football and as such clubs across the continent are already making plans for the summer window. Teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes on identifying targets and figuring out their budgets.

Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals. A plethora of players will become available in the summer where clubs famously have more money to spend and aren't as restricted by financial fair play rules. The rumour mill is beginning to pick up pace and we've collated some of the biggest current transfer stories.

Today's biggest transfer stories

Liverpool are reportedly considering an approach for Antonee Robinson this summer. The United States international has been arguably the best left-back in the Premier League this season and the Anfield club have been looking at potential replacements for Andy Robertson.

Jack Grealish could depart Manchester City this summer with minutes limited under Pep Guardiola. And Tottenham Hotspur appears his likeliest destination with City willing to accept a cut-price offer, according to the Daily Mail.

Stats

J. Koundé Right-Back

FC Barcelona

Season 24/25–

LaLiga

Games

Goals

Assists

Tottenham Hotspur - Manchester United prediction & tips 16.02.2025

As the Premier League season reaches its 25th matchday, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are set to clash in a crucial encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, 16th February 2025. Both teams find themselves in the lower half of the table, with Spurs in 14th place and United just one spot above in 13th. This match could prove pivotal in determining the trajectory of their respective campaigns.

Our betting prediction for Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United:

Our primary betting tip for this fixture is a draw. Given the recent form of both teams and their current league positions, a stalemate seems a likely outcome. The odds for a draw stand at 3.83 with 1win, offering good value for punters.

Our tips

This match has ended or all pre-match betting is closed.

Our second betting prediction is that both teams will score. With Tottenham's leaky defense and potent attack, coupled with United's recent goal-scoring form, we expect to see goals at both ends. Paripesa offers odds of 1.43 for this outcome.

Tottenham Hotspur - A Season of Struggle

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a challenging campaign thus far, finding themselves in 14th place with 27 points from 24 matches. Their record of 8 wins, 3 draws, and 13 defeats paints a picture of inconsistency that has plagued their season. Despite scoring an impressive 48 goals, their defensive frailties have been exposed, conceding 37 times.

Spurs' home form has been particularly concerning, with just 4 wins, 2 draws, and 6 defeats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This vulnerability on home turf will be a significant worry for manager Angelos Postecoglou as they prepare to face Manchester United.

In their most recent outing, Tottenham suffered a 2-1 away defeat to Aston Villa, further denting their confidence. Postecoglou's attacking philosophy has produced entertaining football, but the lack of defensive solidity has cost them dearly. The Greek-Australian coach will need to find a balance between his preferred attacking style and defensive stability if Spurs are to climb the table.

Manchester United's Quest for Consistency

Manchester United find themselves in a similarly precarious position, sitting 13th in the league with 29 points. Their record of 8 wins, 5 draws, and 11 defeats reflects a season of underachievement for a club of their stature. The Red Devils have struggled to find the back of the net, scoring just 28 goals while conceding 34.

United's away form has been a mixed bag, with 3 wins, 4 draws, and 4 defeats on their travels. However, they come into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 home victory against Leicester City, which could provide the springboard for a late-season resurgence.

Manager Rúben Amorim, known for his tactical flexibility and emphasis on youth development, has faced challenges in implementing his philosophy at Old Trafford. The Portuguese tactician will be hoping that the recent upturn in form – 4 wins in their last 5 matches across all competitions – signals a turning point in their campaign.

Last Direct Encounters

The most recent meeting between these two sides resulted in a thrilling 4-3 victory for Tottenham Hotspur at home. This high-scoring affair is indicative of the entertaining clashes these teams tend to produce when they face each other.

H2H Stats

Looking at the head-to-head record for the last five encounters across all competitions, Tottenham have a clear advantage with 3 wins and 2 draws. Manchester United have failed to secure a victory in this period, which could play on their minds as they travel to North London.

Recent Form

Tottenham's form in their last five matches across all competitions has been inconsistent, with 2 wins and 3 defeats. Manchester United, on the other hand, have shown signs of improvement, winning 4 and losing just 1 of their last 5 fixtures.

Latest Results

Tottenham Hotspur's most recent result was a 2-1 away defeat to Aston Villa, while Manchester United secured a 2-1 home victory against Leicester City.

Best Odds and Betting Tips

For this Premier League clash, 1win offers the best odds across the main markets. The home win for Tottenham is priced at 2.50, a draw at 3.83, and a Manchester United victory at 2.74. Our experience in working with bookmakers and some of the best betting sites in the industry suggests that these odds offer good value, particularly for the draw prediction.

Many bookies offer signup bonuses, which are often freebet credits players receive upon their first deposit. For those looking for betting sites with welcome bonuses, it's worth exploring the offers available from reputable bookmakers to maximize your betting potential.

In conclusion, this match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United presents an intriguing betting opportunity. Both teams' inconsistent form, coupled with their respective strengths and weaknesses, points towards a closely contested affair. The historical head-to-head record favors Tottenham, but United's recent upturn in form cannot be ignored.

Our prediction of a draw is based on the evenly matched nature of the two sides and the pressure both teams are under to improve their league positions. The 'both teams to score' bet is supported by Tottenham's attacking prowess and defensive vulnerabilities, as well as United's recent goal-scoring form. As always, we recommend betting responsibly and within your means.

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At the start of the campaign, if you had said that two thirds into the Premier League season both Tottenham and Manchester United would be in 13th and 14th respectively, most football fans wouldn't have believed you. But the reality is that both of those sides are currently closer to the relegation zone than they are to the top five (which would likely be enough to qualify for the Champions League next season). Both clubs are on course for their worst ever Premier League seasons.

Man United chose to sack Erik ten Hag and bring in Ruben Amorim, but have gained no new manager bounce. Instead plummeting further down the table. Tottenham, on the other hand, have stuck with Ange Postecoglou despite no improvement in consistency of results. It's likely that the injury crisis his Spurs team have faced has brought the Aussie a little more time. After nothing more than mediocre starts, it's been pretty much a downward spiral for both clubs as the season has progressed.

This Sunday the two heavyweight strugglers meet in North London, as Spurs take on Man United at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. The pair can currently be very grateful for the three promoted sides being so poor, meaning they aren't in the thick of a relegation battle. Whichever side loses on Sunday could perhaps even remain in that conversation. So how have the 2019 Champions League finalists and the 13-time Premier League winners found themselves in this position?

Club Comparison

Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United

Premier League

Premier League

€846.10m

Market Value

€724.05m

First Tier

League Level

First Tier

€175.35m

Expenditures 24/25

€246.30m

Ange Postecoglou

Managers

Ruben Amorim

Full Club Comparison

What's gone wrong at Tottenham and Manchester United?

Tottenham's worst ever Premier League points total was 44 points in the 1997/98 season under manager Christian Gross. Man United's was 58 points in the 2020/21 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick. As illustrated in the graphic below, If we take just the last 20 Premier League seasons, Spurs' lowest total is in 2007/08 (46 points). If we then take the projected points totals that both teams would achieve this season based on the points-per-game rate they are currently on this term, then it makes for bleak reading. We'd be heading for 46 points for the Red Devils and 43 points for Tottenham - both sides could be set to make history for all the wrong reasons.

Let's begin with Tottenham. It's unusual that when a team with Spurs' ambition are loitering in 14th position and out of both domestic cups, that there isn't overwhelming pressure on the manager from the fanbase. Whilst some sections of the support are beginning to turn on Postecoglou, the majority of anger right now is aimed at chairman Daniel Levy and the club's board. That's who many feel are to blame for Tottenham's demise. And it's certainly true that many top level managers have come and failed at the club in recent years.

It's now been 17 years since Tottenham last won a trophy - the 2008 League Cup. There is a sense from many that Spurs are run more as a business for profit, rather than an ambitious club hunting down success and silverware. They have a brand-new stadium that competes with the best arenas in the world, but the same certainly cannot be said for the team right now. When it comes to recruitment, there has been a shift in strategy to bring in younger players. Archie Gray (€41.25 million from Leeds), Wilson Odobert (€29.3m from Burnley), Antonín Kinský (€16.5m from Slavia Prague), Lucas Bergvall (€10m from Djurgården), Mathys Tel (loan from Bayern Munich), and Min-hyeok Yang (€4m from Gangwon FC) have all been signed this season. Each one of them is aged 21 or younger. But this Tottenham team needs players who are ready now.

It appears club captain Heung-Min Son's powers are fading. Once one of the best player's in the division, he is now failing to impact games more and more. The prolific Harry Kane is becoming a distant memory as the England skipper continues banging goals for Bayern Munich. For so long those two carried Spurs - they helped take them to the Champions League final and achieve a second place finish in the Premier League. It always felt that if Tottenham could have brought in a couple of top quality players to aid them, then that team could have won something. Now that side that were glorious bridesmaid's under Mauricio Pochettino is gone, and a mid-table outfit has replaced them.

Now to Man United, and where to start? Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, the Red Devils have been on a steady demise, that has now culminated in the team being completely unrecognisable from the one the Scotsman led to the Premier League title in his final season in charge 12 years ago. Recruitment, infrastructure and decision-making has all been inadequate. When Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos came into the club 12 months ago, there was hope things might improve. Ineos completed a deal worth about $1.6 billion (€1.4b) for a stake in Man United in February 2024. If anything, things have got worse. However, considering the mess that had been created by the negligence from the previous ownership group, it was always going to take time to stop the rot and begin building up again.

Last week reports suggested members of he club's hierarchy had unveiled a ‘Mission 21’ project to bring the Premier League title back to Manchester United in what would be their 21st English league triumph. On the pitch itself, there's little to suggest that will be coming anytime soon. Amorim's 3-4-3 system has been a huge talking point. He has stuck to his principles and played that formation in every fixture so far, but the squad doesn't seem quite suited to it just yet. Man United continue leaking goals, whilst struggling to score at the other end. Since Amorim took charge, he has won just four out of 14 league games, conceding 1.69 goals per game, whilst only scoring 1.23 goals per game. Damning statistics but it's still early days.

In that same timeframe since the Portuguese manager took charge at Old Trafford, it's been even worse for their opponents this Sunday Tottenham. They have just three wins from 13, conceding 1.85 goals per game. However, at the other end they are still scoring 1.92 goals per game and remain one of the most entertaining watches in the Premier League for neutral supporters. For some Tottenham fans that watch at the moment is coming through their fingers, as they see the same old errors repeating themselves week-in week-out. There's little doubt that these two sides have been the overwhelming under-performers this campaign. A loss for either side in North London this Sunday will ramp up the pressure further.