Daily Express

Ruben Amorim's Manchester United were on the brink of defeat after squandering a 1-0 lead against Tottenham, but managed to claw back a 2-2 draw in the 96th minute a thrilling encounter. Yet they lost both Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko to injury in the second half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The injury to Maguire with 18 minutes to go proved to be a turning point for the Red Devils, as they struggled to maintain their defensive solidity following his withdrawal due to a suspected hamstring issue. And substitute Sesko was later forced off to temporarily leave United down to 10 men, though Matthijs de Ligt still rescued a late draw for Amorim and co.

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Bryan Mbeumo broke the deadlock for United in the first half, with the visitors dominating much of the proceedings. However, Mathys Tel levelled the scoreline for Spurs after Maguire's departure, and Richarlison seemed to have sealed a last-minute victory. But United had other plans.

In an extraordinary turn of events, goalkeeper Senne Lammens joined the attack for a United corner in the 95th minute, allowing defender De Ligt to head home an equaliser at the far post, triggering wild celebrations among the travelling fans and silencing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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United began the match impressively, with Bruno Fernandes orchestrating play and delivering a pass to Mbeumo, who laid it across the advancing Guglielmo Vicario, though no team-mate was on hand to finish. The hosts' finest opening of the opening period fell to Richarlison, whose header lacked conviction following promising build-up play from Brennan Johnson.

However, Tottenham were punished for a defensive lapse in the 32nd minute when October's Premier League Player of the Month, Mbeumo, found the net once more. After Spurs repeatedly failed to clear the danger, a magnificent delivery from Amad Diallo located the Cameroon international, who finished clinically with a well-controlled header.

Premier League pundit and former Spurs striker Jermaine Defoe commented: "You have to stop the cross if you are Spurs. Man Utd keep it alive well, it's poor marking but it's such a controlled header."

Mbeumo, who has now netted five Premier League goals against Tottenham - equalling his highest tally versus any single opponent - remained influential after the interval, though another United colleague delivered a crucial moment when it mattered most.

Ten minutes into the second period, Tottenham's Wilson Odobert delivered a dangerous cross into the six-yard area, where defender Cristian Romero, having pushed forward, found himself with his back to goal and attempted an audacious backheel. United's summer signing Lammens produced an outstanding reflex save with his leg to deny him.

The goalkeeper was tested once more shortly after, producing a fine stop to deny Joao Palhinha, demonstrating precisely why Amorim was so determined to bring in the young Belgian to succeed Andre Onana.

Johnson believed he had drawn level just past the hour, but he was clearly offside when collecting Richarlison's pass before slotting beyond Lammens into the bottom corner. When Maguire made way for Leny Yoro in the 72nd minute, United's defensive solidity departed with him. Barely 10 minutes later, Spurs had their equaliser through a superb turn and finish from Tel.

Destiny Udogie delivered a low pass to him just inside the penalty area, and his excellent first touch set up a fierce strike high into the net. Matters deteriorated further for the visitors when Sesko also sustained an injury late on and was forced off, leaving United to complete the match with 10 men.

In the 91st minute, a Spurs corner dropped to Wilson Odobert outside the area, and his effort was diverted past Lammens by Richarlison, leaving the goalkeeper with little chance.

However, the drama continued as De Ligt rose highest to nod home from four yards out as the match entered its 96th minute.

Given they were down to 10 men at that stage, enormous praise must go to United for displaying such resilience and determination to claim a point from the encounter.

Manchester United were denied a chance to move up to second in the Premier League table but continued their unbeaten streak in dramatic style in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham. United had led 1-0 as late as the 83rd minute but not long after looked poised to lose 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to late Spurs goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison until Matthijs de Ligt denied the hosts victory.

Bryan Mbeumo's close-range header punished poor Spurs defending to put the Red Devils in front after 32 minutes. But Spurs substitute Tel produced a fine touch and finish in the 84th minute and then Richarlison headed in a minute into stoppage time to spark raucous scenes. Yet despite going down to 10 men due to injury, United produced a brilliant response with centre-back De Ligt saving a point in the 96th minute. Express Sport rates and slates the United players as they drew in the capital...

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Man Utd player ratings vs Tottenham

Senne Lammens - 8

Recovered from early error and made brilliant saves to deny Sergio Romero and Joao Palhinha in the second half. Could do nothing about the goals.

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Matthijs de Ligt - 7

Defended his box well until he got done by Mathys Tel, whose shot deflected off the Dutchman and in. Made amends with a towering stoppage-time header to make it 2-2.

Harry Maguire - 7

A solid return to the team was ended prematurely by a hamstring injury that saw him limp off with 18 minutes to go.

Luke Shaw - 6

Bailed out by Lammens after Romero got into a goalscoring position but still a good performance overall. Helped make space for De Ligt to score from a corner at the death.

Noussair Mazraoui - 6

A solid enough 58-minute outing on his return to the starting XI.

Casemiro - 7

Another match where the Brazilian led by example in the middle, breaking up play multiple times before being replaced.

Bruno Fernandes - 5

Helped win the ball in the lead-up to the opening goal with his pressing but well below his level generally, regularly getting caught on the ball. Had a good chance to make it 2-0 that he fired over the bar. Comes away with an assist for the corner at the end.

Patrick Dorgu - 5

Defended fairly well against Brennan Johnson but sorely needs to improve his end product going forward. His crosses are so wasteful. Booked.

Amad Diallo - 7

Moved out of the right wing-back role and supplied a clever floated cross for the Mbeumo header and some great passes. Might have done more to stop the cross for the Spurs equaliser but still one of United's best.

Matheus Cunha - 5

Played centrally over Benjamin Sesko but really struggled. Held on to the ball too long and then lost possession far too many times.

Bryan Mbeumo - 7

Deployed out of his natural position on the left wing but scored a controlled header for his sixth goal in a United shirt and produced some really intelligent touches and contributions. Just a very good footballer.

Substitutes

Benjamin Sesko (Mazraoui 58) - 5

Should have done better with a late chance but allowed Micky van de Ven to get back. Picked up a knock in the same moment that forced him off and left United down to 10 men.

Mason Mount (Cunha 72) - 6

Should have had an assist after releasing Sesko.

Leny Yoro (Maguire 72) - 6

Moved to centre-forward as United chased

Manuel Ugarte (Casemiro 72) - 5

Defended poorly after coming on and was culpable for the goals.

Diogo Dalot (Dorgu 80) - N/A

Manchester United's young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will not be taking to the pitch against Tottenham due to an injury. Mainoo did not join the squad on their journey down to London on Friday.

Ruben Amorim did not provide any specific team news during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, but it has been confirmed that Mainoo is sidelined due to an injury, ruling him out of the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Jack Fletcher has been called up to the squad as a replacement for Mainoo.

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This move maintains United's impressive 88-year record of featuring an academy graduate in every matchday squad. United have proudly included an academy graduate in their squad for a staggering 4,332 consecutive games.

"I don't want to be the guy that broke that record," Amorim stated back in September, emphasising the importance of this tradition. "If you see the past of Manchester United, it's built on kids that grew up here and stayed here for a long time. I think that should be our goal in the future. So I will try to maintain that."

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Mainoo has yet to start a Premier League game this season. His only starting appearance was against Grimsby Town at Blundell Park in the Carabao Cup second round.

The 20-year-old expressed a desire to go out on loan during the summer transfer window in order to gain more regular playing time, but Amorim denied the request, explaining that Mainoo was competing with Bruno Fernandes.

So far this season, Mainoo has made seven appearances, all from the bench, in league matches.

Manchester United and Tottenham both enter Saturday lunchtime's clash in buoyant moods. The Red Devils are unbeaten in four Premier League matches, with a draw at Nottingham Forest following three consecutive wins. Meanwhile, only a few days ago, Spurs trounced Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League.

They both have European ambitions this season but United could leapfrog their opponents into the top four with victory in north London. Ruben Amorim has a fully healthy squad to choose from, an oddity in the modern game, and will be poring over his team selection heading into the match. Express Sport has taken a look at the lineups he could deploy against Spurs...

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Tom Parsons

Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches following a dismal start to the campaign but could find the going tough against a well-drilled Spurs side.

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Noussair Mazraoui has impressed as a United player and should come back into the defence at the expense of Luke Shaw if he’s fully fit.

In attack, Benjamin Sesko hasn’t done enough to hold onto his starting place after failing to score in his last three appearances. Mason Mount should be named on the wing, with Matheus Cunha moving into a central position.

Man Utd XI: Lammens; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Yoro; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount

Jack McEachen

Amad has to start at wing-back if United are going to take the game to Tottenham, and they absolutely can. Similar to how positive the Red Devils looked in another big game, against Chelsea, Amad's inclusion provided dynamism and an impetus to play on the front foot.

The balance of the team could be complemented by bringing in Mason Mount for Benjamin Sesko, who could be dominated by the best centre-back pairing in the league of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Noussair Mazraoui could well play instead of Diogo Dalot, but the latter has developed more of an understanding with Mount and Matheus Cunha, and that could see him given the nod.

Man Utd XI: Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount

Charlie Malam

The big decision for Manchester United against Tottenham comes at left wing-back. Ruben Amorim will likely stick with Diogo Dalot but if it were me, I’d drop him in favour of Noussair Mazraoui. I’d go with the Moroccan over Patrick Dorgu in order to focus on containing the threat of Mohammed Kudus and Pedro Porro.

Another call is whether Benjamin Sesko starts. You either bench the Slovenian and have Matheus Cunha central with Mason Mount to his left like at Anfield last month, or start Sesko with Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo on either side of him. Personally I think you start Sesko again, as much as he struggled to get into the game at Nottingham Forest.

He’s taller than both Sergio Romero and Micky van de Ven and his powerful hold-up play against them could be crucial on the counter-attack. He also adds vital extra aerial threat at set-pieces that Mount simply cannot match. Elsewhere, it’s unchanged from the Forest draw.

Man Utd XI: Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Mazraoui; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has expressed his confidence in the team's progress ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Amorim said: "We are more confident. We manage better the moments of the game. But if you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal and won the game. I expect a different game. We can play better, but also have a little bit of luck to win."

The Red Devils will be facing Tottenham for the first time since their defeat in the Europa League final in Bilbao. United head into the match undefeated in their last four games, having won three of them. Amorim was optimistic about United's chances of winning at his pre-match press conference, especially given the team's impressive run of results in October.

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Only four players who started against Tottenham at the San Mames Stadium - Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Amad - are practically guaranteed starters this weekend.

When discussing why United have improved since the final, Amorim mentioned "confidence" but also highlighted the importance of the summer signings.

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Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, both of whom arrived with Premier League experience, have been instrumental in transforming the team's performance this season.

Amorim made further bold choices at both ends of the pitch which have proved equally crucial, offloading Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana to Italy and Turkey respectively. The choice to ditch Hojlund was somewhat brutal.

He was keen to remain and battle for his position - and would have gained from featuring as the reserve striker this campaign - but Amorim had witnessed sufficient evidence. Hojlund failed to find the net frequently enough last term and suffered the consequences.

United appeared blunt with Hojlund leading the line in the Europa League final and acquiring a new striker was essential.

Benjamin Sesko arrived with a comparable background to Hojlund, considering his youth and absence of Premier League experience, and he appears to be steadily settling in Manchester following a sluggish beginning at the club.

Gary Neville claimed Sesko was "miles off it" following the Nottingham Forest stalemate. Neville has received criticism for his remarks, but Sesko would acknowledge he would prefer to have more than two strikes to his credit at this stage of the campaign.

Sesko possesses enormous promise and can develop into a 20-goal-per-season striker. The choice to recruit him from RB Leipzig should prove worthwhile ultimately, though United supporters may need to exercise patience.

That is precisely why Senne Lammens' displays have been so remarkable. Every young overseas player requires time to adjust to the Premier League, but Lammens has managed a flawless transition. Amorim held back Lammens' debut until a match against Sunderland last month, and the chants of "are you Schmeichel in disguise?" were testament to his performance that day.

Despite being just 23 and playing in one of the most scrutinised positions at one of the country's most closely watched clubs, Lammens exudes confidence and assurance. His laid-back, intelligent demeanour is evident when he speaks, explaining his significant impact on the team.

"I think you just try to be like yourself, don't really overthink it, it's just a game, to be honest, at the end of the day," Lammens commented after the Liverpool victory, which he celebrated with a close friend over dinner.

After only four appearances, the Belgian has been hailed as a significant improvement on Onana, who was prone to errors and caused his teammates to doubt themselves.

Amorim's decisions to revamp both ends of the team appear to be paying off, with the Lammens decision already proving fruitful, while Sesko remains a work in progress.

However, this doesn't mean there isn't room for Lammens to improve or that Sesko hasn't been a good signing. Lammens will inevitably make mistakes, and while Sesko has shown promise, he needs to add more goals to his tally.

United splashed out £215million in the summer transfer window (excluding add-ons), and the recruitment appears to have been successful. It's not often United have been able to say that about their transfer windows over the past decade.

Tottenham are set to face Manchester United at home this weekend, following a triumphant 4-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night. This comes after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend. United, meanwhile, have been performing well, remaining unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, including a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Ruben Amorim's squad currently sit eighth in the league table. However, the two teams present starkly different injury reports. United are heading into Saturday's match with a relative clean bill of health, while Spurs are not so fortunate. Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai and Archie Gray are all ruled out for Spurs. Lucas Bergvall is also questionable after suffering a concussion during the match against Chelsea.

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As per The FA's guidelines, following an initial 24 to 48 hour period of 'relative rest', Bergvall will be permitted to gradually return to full daily activity. The 19-year-old midfielder can train, but only at a rate that does not worsen existing symptoms'.

The FA's 'Graduated return to play' (GRTP) programme could potentially sideline Bergvall for a minimum of 21 days. Additionally, the sporting body has an 'Enhanced care pathway' for players over the age of 18, which allows RTP after 12 days – or after seven days provided exceptional criteria are met.

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However, there is a glimmer of hope for Spurs, as Mohamed Kudus, who was absent on Tuesday due to an injury, might be fit for this weekend's match. However, it's suggested that Tottenham boss Thomas Frank could face an anxious wait on the forward's fitness.

Meanwhile, for United, Lisandro Martinez returned to full training last week, but it remains uncertain if he will be included in Saturday's matchday squad.

Speaking on Thursday, Amorim confirmed he has no new injury worries. He stated: "No, there's no change [to what we are doing about injuries].

"It's one game every week and then a little bit of luck, because sometimes you have problems with players with knocks, it's not something that is soft tissues.

"So you never know what is going to happen in the next training. If you play with intensity in training, something can happen, but I think the big reason... of course, we try to do everything well, the big reason is [we have only] one game every week.

"You can give one extra day to the players that you know could struggle in the next training. I think that is the biggest reason."

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS have agreed to shell out around £5million to Tottenham Hotspur in order to swiftly settle a lawsuit, per reports. The company, co-owned by the Manchester United mogul, was accused of breaching a five-year minimum contract worth £17.5m that allowed Tottenham to promote the company's Grenadier as the club's "official 4X4 vehicle partner."

The agreement was thought to have been inked in 2022, but INEOS had been collaborating with Spurs since they were acknowledged as the club's "official hand-sanitiser supplier" during the Covid-19 outbreak. Tottenham severed their ties with Ratcliffe's company in March and initiated legal proceedings three months later. They claim an annual instalment exceeding £5m was not paid on December 1, having already allegedly failed to pay an inflation-related sum of approximately £500,000.

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As per reports from the Telegraph, the total amount paid to Spurs remains undisclosed, but a source close to the matter suggested the agreed figure was roughly half of what the north Londoners were seeking which was around £11m.

Furthermore, Spurs were pursuing nearly £5.3m in damages when the deal was terminated with more than two years remaining. Shortly thereafter, INEOS retaliated by counter-suing Spurs for over £1m.

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They accused the north Londoners of engaging in sponsorship talks with Audi, which were tied to Harry Kane's potential transfer to Bayern Munich.

INEOS, in their counterclaim, stated: "On or around 3 August 2023 (i.e. early in contract year two), Todd Kline of the club indicated to Ashley Reed of INEOS that the club had been in discussions with the German car manufacturer Audi AG in connection with rights which were the same as, or substantially similar to, the rights granted to Ineos under the agreement and/or the club had been negotiating with Audi in respect of rights which were exclusive to Ineos under clause 4 of the agreement.

"According to Mr Kline, the discussions and/or negotiations related to a proposed transfer of the club's player Harry Kane to the German club FC Bayern Munich."

INEOS' defence also highlighted that the commercial partnership had "not materialised", leading to Spurs and INEOS agreeing they "could terminate the agreement with effect from the end of year three of the contract term."

They firmly asserted: "In the circumstances, it is the club which owes INEOS more than £1m for failing to provide any rights to Ineos in the final part of year three."

Spurs acknowledged holding commercial discussions with Audi, but rejected suggestions these talks entitled Ineos to terminate their agreement, given that Tottenham never finalised a deal with the German automotive giant.

Tottenham assert the arrangement with INEOS "involved annual payments starting at £2.125m in year one and increasing to £4.6m in year five, all plus VAT and index-linked to the rate of inflation" and that they would be pursuing interest "further or other relief as the court thinks fit".

At the time, an INEOS spokesperson said: "INEOS Automotive was a partner of Tottenham Hotspur from 2022, expanding on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020. We had a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right."

INEOS have severed partnerships with numerous major sporting organisations they had previously backed. They have already terminated arrangements with Ben Ainslie's sailing squad and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union side.

In February, the Telegraph also reported the latter were launching legal proceedings, alleging their contract, which was anticipated to continue until 2027, was concluded prematurely, despite an existing agreement.

INEOS have maintained they have been compelled into budget reductions due to "extreme" green carbon levies in Europe. Ratcliffe has attributed the closure of their synthetic ethanol plant in Grangemouth, Scotland, which resulted in the loss of 80 direct roles and a further 500 indirect jobs, to escalating energy prices and taxes.

Arsenal could potentially gain an upper hand in the Premier League title race due to the ongoing Champions League campaigns of their London rivals, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners are one of only three clubs with a perfect record in the league phase, alongside Bayern Munich and Inter, while their capital counterparts are not performing quite as well.

Tottenham remain undefeated in this season's competition, joining Manchester City and the aforementioned trio. However, they have drawn both of their away matches so far, 2-2 with Bodo/Glimt and 0-0 against Monaco. Having won both of their home matches, 1-0 over Villarreal and 4-0 versus Copenhagen, Spurs currently sit 10th in the table. Just a point and two places behind them are Chelsea.

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Like Tottenham, the Blues have a flawless home record, having defeated Benfica 1-0 and Ajax 5-1. However, they have yet to secure a win on the road, as Bayern triumphed 3-1 in Munich, while Chelsea had to rally to draw 2-2 with Qarabag in their last outing.

At the halfway point of the league phase, both clubs occupy play-off spots for the knockout phase, albeit as seeded sides. If they remain between ninth and 24th place, they will face a two-legged tie in February, much like City did last season.

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Coincidentally, that is the same month Arsenal face both teams for the final time this season. They will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the weekend of February 21 before welcoming Chelsea the following week.

The first leg of the knockout phase play-offs is set to commence in the week starting February 16, just days before the Gunners face Spurs. The second legs are due to start from February 23.

According to Opta Analyst, Chelsea have a nearly 69 per cent chance of being in the knockout phase play-offs, while Tottenham's odds are slightly over 71 per cent. Arsenal, however, have the slimmest chances, at just under two per cent.

This indicates that it's highly unlikely for the Gunners to require a play-off. The possibility of their London rivals vying for a spot in the last 16 ahead of their league matches could provide a welcome boost for Arsenal.

Chelsea are scheduled to host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge later this month, before travelling to Atalanta in December. They then welcome Pafos in January and conclude their league phase in Italy against Napoli.

Spurs' next European match is an away game against Paris Saint-Germain, followed by a home fixture against Slavia Prague next month. Borussia Dortmund will visit them in the New Year, before they head off to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Arsenal are set to host Bayern before the end of November and then travel to Club Brugge for their final Champions League match of the year. Inter are their first opponents in January, followed by a home game against Kairat.

Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Teddy Sheringham has dismissed the idea that the Reds could benefit from a tense atmosphere at Spurs' home ground, following the London club's recent defeat to Chelsea. After a 1-0 loss to their city rivals, Spurs fans expressed their dissatisfaction with Thomas Frank and his team's performance.

However, Tottenham bounced back on Tuesday night with a convincing 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. Despite this, Sheringham, speaking to Oddspedia, believes that any notion of the Reds capitalising on a potentially nervous atmosphere in north London is misguided.

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Instead, he anticipates a united front when United visit this weekend. "I was at the Spurs game last night and I was interested to see what the reaction of the supporters would be like after the Chelsea game," Sheringham said.

"They were up for it again and Tottenham ended up putting in a good display. It wasn't fantastic - they probably ended up playing better with 10 men than they did with 11 - but I don't think the United game is the type of game for Spurs fans to not appreciate what's going on.

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"Everyone loves it when Manchester United come to town and everyone raises their game, so I don't think it's this type of fixture that will be a problem for Thomas Frank. I think Tottenham will be up for it and so will their supporters - so it will be a fantastic game.

"It's the other games that Tottenham are expected to win when they're playing against the likes of Brentford at home where it starts to become a bit sticky." With loyalties split between both clubs, Sheringham is anticipating an entertaining, hard-fought encounter.

"I was going to say there's goals in it, but Manchester United's defence has tightened up a bit recently and Tottenham look solid at the back with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero," he concluded. "I'll go for a 1-1 draw."

Both teams enter the clash level on 17 points and - should either emerge victorious - they would climb to second place in the Premier League table, albeit potentially for just a matter of hours.

Micky van de Ven has insisted that his frustrated exit from the pitch alongside Djed Spence following the loss to Chelsea had nothing to do with Tottenham boss Thomas Frank. The 22-year-old Dutchman has been making headlines for all the right reasons after netting a stunning solo goal in the Champions League, which saw him dribble from his own penalty area before beating the Copenhagen keeper at the other end of the pitch on Tuesday night.

This spectacular goal came during a 4-0 victory for a 10-man Tottenham side, after Brennan Johnson was shown a red card, and followed a weekend where Van de Ven felt compelled to apologise to Frank due to an uncomfortable incident post Saturday's derby defeat to Chelsea. The Spurs head coach had witnessed Van de Ven and full-back Spence heading towards him and off the pitch, and requested the pair stay and acknowledge the disappointed home supporters. However, both players declined and proceeded straight past the Danish manager and into the tunnel, leaving him to awkwardly watch them leave.

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The next day, both men independently visited Frank's office at their Hotspur Way training ground to offer their apologies. After scoring his remarkable goal on Tuesday night, Van de Ven was eager to move past that frustrating incident and emphasised it had nothing to do with Frank.

"Of course it's the past so I don't want to make it bigger than it is. Djed and I walked [off], we were just frustrated after the game and everything got really exploded by the media, it was nothing big to be honest," said the centre-back. "Everyone thinks it was the gaffer, there was nothing to do with the gaffer.

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"We were just frustrated after the game because of a bad performance from myself as well. We want to play well and I didn't play well in my opinion, so I was just frustrated and I just wanted to go quickly inside. As I said it got exploded by the media out of nowhere."

Frank had joked after the central defender's incredible goal on Tuesday: "It seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scored a fantastic goal. I think he's our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he's angry after a game!".

Van de Ven confessed he and Spurs had disappointed the supporters on Saturday and that the crowd contributed to everyone recovering against Copenhagen.

"The fans were good tonight and I think also it helped that we played a good performance," he said. "Saturday was really frustrating. We played a derby at home against Chelsea and it's a massive game for us but also for the fans, we didn't play really well as a team, it was a bad performance from our side. We needed to bounce back in a positive way and I think we did that really well."

Van de Ven embarked on a similar box-to-box surge last season against Everton only to set up Son Heung-min for a late strike, but this time the route was clear for the defender to find the net himself.

"Today I got the ball in my own box, I saw the gap opening every time in front of me when I started dribbling. At one point I thought some players were around me and I came through and I saw the way was open to the goal so I was like 'ok I keep going now I need to finish this'," he said. "At that point I was saying 'I need to score this one'. Luckily it happened.

"The one against Everton with the assist there were some defenders in front of me. When I was past these defenders [this time] the route was all the way open. Then I was like 'now I need to go myself'."

Van de Ven, who featured as a striker during his youth career, now boasts six goals this campaign, having failed to find the back of the net in his debut season. So is he targeting 20 goals now as a forward would?

"No, six goals is a lot already to be honest!" said the Dutchman. "I don't know where it's going to end but hopefully I can score more goals this season."

Van de Ven had kind words for his fellow countryman Xavi Simons, who delivered his finest performance for Spurs since arriving in a £51million switch from RB Leipzig at the end of the summer transfer window. "He had a great performance. He really created some big opportunities from our side. It was a good game from his side and also in the last couple of games," praised the defender.

"Of course he's in a new country so everything is different. Everyone expects a lot from him straight away, he played good games but you guys (the media) are always on him in certain ways of course. But game by game you see he's making steps. He was brilliant tonight."