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Tottenham player ratings vs Manchester United: Wilson Odobert superb but Pedro Porro struggles

Spurs were moments away from recording another win over Manchester United but had to settle for a point on a difficult afternoon for many players

Star man | Wilson Odobert

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Matt Verri

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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Tottenham had to settle for a point against Manchester United after a hugely dramatic 2-2 draw in north London.

The visitors took the lead in the first half when Amad Diallo clipped a cross to the back post and Bryan Mbeumo found space to head home.

Spurs appeared to have turned it around, as Mathys Tel came off the bench to equalise with six minutes of normal time remaining and Richarlison then put the hosts in front in stoppage-time.

However, there was still time for United to hit back and earn a draw, Matthijs de Ligt left free for a 96th-minute equaliser.

Here’s how Standard Sport rated the Spurs players...

Guglielmo Vicario 5

Strangely motionless for Mbeumo’s goal. Distribution largely consisted of aimless long balls. Could not quite keep De Ligt’s header out.

Pedro Porro 4

Sloppy on the ball throughout, both short passing and his crosses into the box. Didn’t look comfortable against Mbeumo. Telling that he came off for Udogie rather than Spence.

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Cristian Romero 5

Booked for wild challenge in the first half and looked frustrated for much of the match. Clever flicked effort was brilliantly saved by Senne Lammens. Some careless moments in possession.

Micky van de Ven 7

Always delivers. Sensational challenge to deny Benjamin Sesko late on. Maybe too confident at times in charging out of defence with the ball and could have been punished.

Micky van de Ven impressed again

AFP via Getty Images

Djed Spence 5

Twice failed to deal with a bouncing ball as Amad pounced, with Johnson bailing him out. Need to cut onto his right foot slows Spurs down in attack.

Joao Palhinha 5

Decent effort was saved by Lammens early after the break. Made four tackles but not quite the usual snap to his challenges.

Pape Matar Sarr 4

Made a mess of clearing the ball for Mbeumo’s goal. Lacked his trademark energy in midfield and indecisive in possession.

Brennan Johnson 6

Wonderful left-footed cross should have been converted by Richarlison, and he worked really hard to make crucial interventions at the back more than once.

Xavi Simons 6

Looked bright in the first half with a couple of sharp turns. As likely as anyone to make something happen but not found often enough. Loud boos when he was brought off.

Richarlison 6

A real rollercoaster. So poor for most of the match, failing to even make contact with a huge chance in the first half and rarely made the right decision in attack. But really clever flicked header should have earned Spurs all three points.

Randal Kolo Muani 5

Some decent combination play but didn’t have a sniff of goal with Spurs’ delivery into the box poor. Unfortunate to be the one hooked at half-time if it wasn’t injury related.

Substitutes:

Wilson Odobert (Kolo Muani 46’) 8

Superb cameo. Offered drive and intent on the wing and his shot was turned in by Richarlison for the winner. Needs to be starting.

Destiny Udogie (Porro 67’) 7

Spurs are just a better side when he plays. Got forward on the overlap and provided the assist for Tel’s equaliser.

Rodrigo Bentancur (Palhinha 79’) 5

Harshly dropped after playing well in midweek. Did not bring much control to what was a chaotic conclusion to the match.

Mathys Tel (Simons 79’) 7

Hardly played recently but recently sharp turn and finish to get Spurs level. Nearly had a second but could not make good enough contact.

Kevin Danso (Romero 87’) N/A

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The winger missed the midweek Champions League win over Copenhagen with a knock and speaking after the match said the injury was "getting better".

No player has provided more Premier League assists this season than Kudus, but it was uncertain whether he will be back to face United.

"Kudus is touch and go for tomorrow, we'll see," Thomas Frank said on Friday.

As Kudus is ruled out, Frank sticks with Brennan Johnson who started and scored against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

Xavi Simons had his best performance in a Spurs shirt in that match and lines up in the No10 role again, with Joao Palhinha returning to the starting lineup behind him.

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Kobbie Mainoo has been ruled out of the trip to north London with a minor knock, and is replaced in the matchday squad by youngster Jack Fletcher.

Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez, who is back in full training after making a recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in the home loss to Crystal Palace at the beginning of the year, has not travelled with the squad to the capital.

Amorim did not consider the Argentine for selection against Nottingham Forest last weekend, insisting the central defender needed more time before being ready for a return to action.

"He (Martinez) wants to go to this one [Forest], he isn't going to this one,” Amorim told reporters ahead of the game at the City Ground. “He's going to need time. He has started training with us. Slowly he is going to get better.”

Despite a further full week’s worth of training under his belt, Martinez will not make his Man United return until after the international break.

Harry Maguire, however, does start as one of the three central defenders to help combat Tottenham’s set-piece strengths as well as posing a threat of his own in the opposition box.

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Tottenham vs Manchester United: Prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

A repeat of last season’s Europa League final

Big clash: Tottenham vs Manchester United

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Oli Gent

COMMENTS

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Tottenham welcome Manchester United to north London in what should be an exciting lunchtime encounter.

Thomas Frank’s side are back to winning ways after a thumping 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League followed two disappointing defeats against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and Chelsea last weekend.

Spurs have been consistently inconsistent since Frank’s arrival in the dugout, but the Dane has led them to sixth in the Premier League table after 10 games.

United, meanwhile, are eighth, after they escaped the City Ground with a point thanks to Amad Diallo’s late heroics against Nottingham Forest.

Sean Dyche’s men had turned the game on its head after Casemiro had opened the scoring, with a quickfire double thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona.

That result ended the Red Devils’ three-game winning run, which saw them beat Brighton, Liverpool, and Sunderland in that time, and it has seen Ruben Amorim’s side climb the table slowly.

Date, kick-off time and venue

Tottenham vs Manchester United is scheduled for a 12.30pm GMT kick-off today, Saturday, November 8, 2025.

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The match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Where to watch Tottenham vs Manchester United

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am GMT ahead of the 12.30pm kick off.

Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.

Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.

Tottenham vs Manchester United team news

For Spurs, it is more of the same on the injury front. Frank suffered another blow ahead of the Copenhagen clash in midweek, with Mohammed Kudus not making the squad with a knock and he remains a doubt for this game.

Djed Spence recovered from his own to make the bench against the Danish side. Lucas Bergvall missed out completely with a concussion, and he will again sit out this game due to medical protocols.

There are a handful of absentees that Spurs are hoping to have fit by the end of the next international break, but they are unlikely to feature against United.

Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma, and Ben Davies make up that group.

As for United, Kobbie Mainoo is set to miss out, while Lisandro Martinez is almost at the end of his recovery from an ACL injury.

Amorim confirmed that the Argentine wanted to play against Forest, but club staff decided against including him, instead opting to be cautious with the defender. He could potentially return here, now training with his team-mates again, but it remains likelier that his comeback will be complete after the international window.

Doubtful: Mohammed Kudus

Action Images via Reuters

Tottenham vs Manchester United prediction

This could go either way, as the two kings of inconsistency face off.

Spurs looked more polished in their moments, while United have begun to look more cohesive as a unit as Amorim’s system begins to take shape.

The visitors’ front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko is starting to gel, while Bruno Fernandes is adapting better to his position in the midfield pivot.

That said, if Spurs’ workhorse duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha can ruffle feathers in the engine room, it might give the home side that extra edge.

Tottenham to win, 2-1.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

Tottenham wins: 58

Manchester United wins: 96

Draws: 51

Tottenham vs Manchester United match odds

Tottenham to win: 17/10

Manchester United to win: 5/4

Draw: 21/10

Odds via Betfair (subject to change).

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Tottenham host Manchester United in the early Premier League kick-off today as they look to build on a free-scoring Champions League win over Copenhagen.

Spurs’ win over Copenhagen, which followed a dismal 1-0 loss to Chelsea, was among their best performances of the season so far. The occasion was capped by Micky van de Ven’s second-half wondergoal, which saw the centre-back dribble from box to box before burying a cool finish.

That result will bring with it a colossal confidence boost ahead of what is sure to be a testing meeting with Ruben Amorim’s rejuvenated Man United.

After a dismal start to the campaign, the Red Devils now find themselves on a four-match unbeaten run, which has lifted them back into the top half of the Premier League.

Thomas Frank will be without several key first-team players for the match, though. Lucas Bergvall is newly unavailable after suffering a concussion against Chelsea, and he joins Dominic Solanke, Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma, and Ben Davies in the physio’s room.

Despite that, he will hope to ride Spurs’ positive momentum and secure another big win ahead of the November international break.

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am GMT ahead of the 12.30pm kick off.

The two sides will go head-to-head in north London for the first time since the Europa League final in May.

Their calendar was further cleared when they fell at the first hurdle in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby.

Ruben Amorim's side have had a full week to prepare for their trip to Spurs, who were in action midweek against Copenhagen in the Champions League.

"I said from the beginning we want to be able to compete in both because of where we want to be, we need to be able to perform in Champions League, Europa League and still top perform in the league.

"There’s no two ways about it, that’s for the fans, the status, the money, everything, the ambitions, what we want to achieve.

"But to have a week to prepare for a game, to have the freshness, that means something."

Spurs and United both go into the match with five wins, two draws and three defeats from their opening ten matches of the Premier League season.

It is a very congested table. The sides sit two points off Manchester City in second but only the same amount clear of Aston Villa in 11th.

"I think in general the Premier League this season is the most competitive Premier League I’ve seen," Frank said.

"This is my fifth year here and there’s so little between the teams. If I see the other games, I heard [Arne] Slot talk about the [Liverpool vs] Villa game, small margins in that game as well, the momentum change in games - it’s very, very competitive."

Dominic Solanke is not expected to play in a friendly for Tottenham during the upcoming international break, with Thomas Frank hoping the striker will return before the end of 2025.

The striker has been out for two-and-a-half months with an ankle injury which he eventually had surgery on.

Solanke is yet to start a match under Thomas Frank and his recovery from the minor procedure he underwent at the end of September has been a slow one.

Spurs are set to play a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break and plan to use it to give Radu Dragusin some minutes, with the hope he will then be ready for first-team action again. He has not played since January after an ACL injury.

No firm timeframe has been provided for Solanke's return, with Frank not able to fully guarantee that fans could expect to see the 28-year-old before the end of they year.

“I do hope so," Frank said. "I would say let’s see what happens after the international break.

Solanke has made a total of three appearances this season, all of the bench. He played a total of 31 Premier League minutes across two cameos and was also involved in the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-German.

Spurs will be cautious with his return to action after such a frustrating couple of months, with a clearer idea of when Solanke could play again expected to come after the next fortnight.

"Yeah, I think the international break will be the big deciding factor because we have two weeks there to push in the next steps," Frank said.

"As I say, it's going forward. Just to take it instead of the questions every single time because it was clearly that he was not ready before the international break. It's more, we look after the international break, that's what we're aiming for.

"I think we always want to get it right, but I think it's important to get it right so he's out there, can help the team and we need him back."

Tottenham will make a late decision over the fitness of Mohammed Kudus for their Saturday lunchtime clash with Manchester United.

The winger missed the midweek Champions League win over Copenhagen with a knock and speaking after the match said the injury was "getting better".

No player has provided more Premier League assists this season than Kudus, but it is uncertain whether he will be back to face United.

"Kudus is touch and go for tomorrow, we'll see," Thomas Frank said on Friday.

If Kudus is ruled out, Frank is likely to stick with Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert, who both started and scored against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

Xavi Simons had his performance in a Spurs shirt in that match and should line up in the No10 role again, with Joao Palhinha set to return to the starting lineup behind him.

Destiny Udogie impressed in that match and will hope to keep his place in the side, which would mean Djed Spence having to settle for a spot on the bench.

Up front, Randal Kolo Muani has started the last two games and played 70 minutes in both but should now be up to speed enough to once again get the nod over Richarlison.

The 26-year-old has hit the ground running and is United's top scorer with four goals, netting in the win over Liverpool at Anfield and then scoring a brace a week later against Brighton.

Frank predicted Mbeumo will go on to achieve big things at Old Trafford, even if he hopes that is paused when his Tottenham side host United on Saturday.

"Of course I'll step out of my role at Tottenham. When you work with a player for six years, you get a close relationship. To see him develop from being a young man, 19-year-old when he moved to London and Brentford and left six years later, going into one of the biggest clubs in the world with all that focus and the way he stepped up.

"For me, looking from the outside, maybe a little bit biased, I think he's been their best offensive player.

"He can create, he can score, he works hard, he's a team player. He's the perfect example, in my opinion, for a player what I call about attitude, confident but humble. He's a top player.

"I think he will have fantastic success there. I hope that for him, not tomorrow, but in general I hope and wish him all the best."

"Right now they are in a moment where they have more or less every key player available and he's found his team, played more or less the same team in the last four or five games," Frank said.

"We know exactly what to expect from them. I think they have an incredibly dangerous front three. They're starting to get more up to pace and we need to close them down.