Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, before our text commentary stream of the EPL clash in London.
Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday December 20, at 5:30pm (17:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Click here to follow our live coverage.
Defending champions Liverpool will seek back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September when they visit Tottenham on Saturday, but the Reds’ woes are far from a distant memory.
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The pressure building on manager Arne Slot, who last year won the title in his first season in charge, was mounting after a run of nine defeats in 12.
The public fallout between the Anfield club and their star forward, Mohamed Salah, has overshadowed the Slot situation – but it has not gone away. Spurs similarly had a sticky run of six defeats in 10 games during October and November and it has hardly improved since.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that sees both managers concerned for their immediate futures.
What is the latest on Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future?
Salah has now departed for Egypt duty at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but it has not changed his situation at Anfield.
Ever since the 33-year-old claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by the Reds for their woeful season – after he was dropped to the bench for three consecutive games – rumours had been rife that his time on Merseyside was coming to an end.
The Saudi Pro League have made no secret of their desire to make a move for Salah, who was dropped from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League match in Milan following his outburst.
The forward did return to the bench for the visit of Brighton in the Premier League last week but his time away at AFCON is likely to be surrounded by speculation that the January transfer window will see a switch to Saudi Arabia.
What happened in Tottenham’s last game?
Tottenham were soundly beaten 3-0 at Nottingham Forest last Sunday, in a game that saw rumours of Thomas Frank’s demise as Spurs manager increase.
Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the first two goals for the home side before Ibrahim Sangare ended any hopes of a Spurs comeback in the 79th minute.
What happened in Liverpool’s last game?
Liverpool put aside the Salah saga and the speculation about Slot’s future with a 2-0 win against Brighton at Anfield last Saturday.
Hugo Ekitike scored both goals, the opener in the first minute of the match, while Salah was an early first-half substitute and assisted for the second from a corner kick.
Whether that was Salah’s last game as a Red remains to be seen.
How have Tottenham fared in the Premier League this season?
Tottenham began their Premier League campaign, Frank’s first in charge, with a run of only one defeat in their opening seven games. The North Londoners have since lost five of their last nine in the league.
The run of six defeats in 10, in all competitions, has been followed by two wins, and the defeat by Forest, in their last four in all competitions. It is just one win in seven, however, in the league – a run that has seen Spurs slip into the bottom half of the table.
How have Liverpool fared in the Premier League this season?
Liverpool won their opening seven games of the season in all competitions, excluding the preseason Community Shield defeat on penalties against Crystal Palace.
Four straight defeats followed, which began the run of nine defeats in 12. In Premier League terms, the Reds have only won three of 11 games – losing six. On the back of winning their first five league games of the season, the Anfield club have been able to hold onto a top-half position in the league, and they start the latest round of matches in seventh position – 10 points of leaders Arsenal, who travel to Everton Saturday evening.
How much pressure is on Tottenham manager Thomas Frank?
Tottenham lifted the UEFA Europa League last season, but that was not enough to stop Ange Postecoglou from being axed at the end of the campaign. The recent run of matches has resulted in huge pressure being placed on Frank.
The biggest rumour to mount has been that former Spain and Barcelona midfielder, Xavi, is being lined up to replace Frank.
Spurs have been renowned for being a sacking club, with Frank being the fifth permanent manager since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in 2019.
Should Frank be shown the door, his would not be the shortest tenure of a Spurs manager in recent times – Nuno Espirito Santo lasted only four months and two days during his 2021 stint in charge.
What happened the last time Tottenham played Liverpool?
Liverpool thumped Tottenham 5-1 in the Premier League at Anfield in April when the sides last met.
Dominic Solanke gave Spurs a 12th-minute lead before Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo responded for the Reds by the break.
Mohamed Salah and a Destiny Udogie own goal completed the rout in the second period.
What happened in the corresponding fixture between Tottenham and Liverpool last year?
It was a Premier League double for Liverpool last season as they won the first meeting of the last campaign with a nine-goal thriller at Tottenham on December 22.
The 6-3 win for the Reds saw Diaz and Salah both hit braces in a game where the away side led 3-1 at the break, and 5-1 by the 61st minute.
When did Tottenham last beat Liverpool?
Tottenham did actually manage to beat Liverpool last season in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal. The 1-0 home win wasn’t enough for Spurs, however, as the Reds had the last laugh, winning 4-0 in the return fixture at Anfield.
Lucas Bergvall scored the only goal in London, while the aggregate score was level at the break in the second leg after Gakpo’s first-half strike. Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk settled matters in the second period.
When did Tottenham last beat Liverpool in the Premier League?
Tottenham’s last league win against Liverpool came in September 2023, courtesy of a 2-1 home.
Curtis Jones saw red in the 26nd minute with Son Hueng-min netting Spurs’ first 10 minutes later.
Gakpo levelled for the Reds on the stroke of half-time but the second half went from bad to worse as Diogo Jota was given his marching orders in 69th minute before Joel Matip put through his own net in the final minute of the game.
Head-to-head
This is the 186th meeting between the sides, with Liverpool winning 90 times and Tottenham emerging victorious on 50 occasions.
The first match was in November 1909 on the old Division One (now the Premier League) with Spurs winning 1-0 in London. Liverpool won the return match that season 2-0 in March 1910.
Tottenham team news
James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski are all injured, while Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin are still deemed short of match fitness as they make their returns from knocks.
Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are both at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning Frank is set to be without eight players for Liverpool’s visit.
Liverpool team news
Salah is the number one absentee for Liverpool, although the Egyptian did start the last four league games on the bench.
Cody Gakpo, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo are all injured while Conor Bradley is suspended.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez both picked up knocks in the Brighton game and are a doubt, but Jeremie Frimpong is close to a return following a hamstring injury.
Predicted Tottenham starting lineup
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison
Predicted Liverpool starting lineup
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Chiesa, Jones, Wirtz; Ekitike
Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze showed Tottenham what they missed out on with a brilliant hat-trick in a 4-1 north London derby demolition that bolstered the Premier League leaders’ title charge.
Mikel Arteta’s side were too strong for timid Tottenham on Sunday as Leandro Trossard and Eze netted in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.
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Eze, who spurned Tottenham’s advances to join Arsenal in the close season, struck again in the second half.
Richarlison’s incredible long-range goal reduced the deficit, but it was no consolation as Eze completed his superb treble to fire the Gunners six points clear at the top.
It was only the fourth north London derby hat-trick after Ted Drake, Terry Dyson and Alan Sunderland, the latter being the most recent in 1978.
Arsenal’s 10-match winning streak was ended by Sunderland’s late equaliser in a 2-2 draw before the international break.
But Eze’s best performance since his 60-million-pound ($78m) move from Crystal Palace erased that bitter taste as Tottenham were put to the sword at the Emirates yet again.
The Gunners – unbeaten in the last seven north London derbies – have lost just once in 33 home meetings with their bitter rivals from the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.
Arsenal’s biggest win over Tottenham since 2012 was the perfect start to a crucial period featuring a visit from Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before a trip to second-placed Chelsea next weekend.
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions has reached 15 games, ensuring they took advantage of Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday.
With City spluttering and champions Liverpool in turmoil, Arsenal have a golden opportunity to end their wait for a first English title since 2004.
Tottenham arrived with the Premier League’s best away record, but the limp end of their five-game unbeaten run on the road raised fresh questions about boss Thomas Frank’s negative philosophy.
The absence of injured Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes had been highlighted as a potential weakness for Tottenham to exploit.
Yet Tottenham rarely got close enough to the Arsenal penalty area to test that theory.
Mikel Merino was again deployed as Arsenal’s makeshift striker in the absence of the injured Viktor Gyokeres, but the Spain midfielder dropped deep into more familiar terrain to set up Trossard’s goal in the 36th minute.
Caressing a sublime pass over the Tottenham rearguard, Merino picked out Trossard, who was played onside by the dozing Kevin Danso.
Trossard smartly twisted and turned to find space for a shot that deflected past Guglielmo Vicario from 10 yards.
If Tottenham had their way in the summer, Eze would be turning out for them, but Arsenal hijacked the deal with Palace to sign the England star at the 11th hour.
Frank had joked, “Who’s Eze?” when asked this week about the failed move.
Eze had the perfect riposte in the 41st minute as he took Declan Rice’s pass in stride and weaved through to drill a fine low finish past Vicario.
Frank sent on Xavi Simons for Danso at the interval, but the introduction of the forward Tottenham signed instead of Eze made no difference.
Eze struck again just 35 seconds after half-time, punishing Tottenham’s flat-footed defence with a predatory finish from just inside the area.
Richarlison briefly silenced the crowing Arsenal fans when he lobbed David Raya with a sensational effort from 35 yards in the 55th minute.
But that was Tottenham’s first shot of the game, and Eze, picked out by Trossard’s pass, put a fitting seal on his masterclass with a blistering strike from 12 yards in the 76th minute.
Eze told Sky Sports after the game that he had prayed for a hat-trick.
“I am grateful for this. I have worked hard for this. That was the prayer today, for a hat-trick,” he said.
“All my family is here. It makes it even more special.”
Tottenham’s goalkeeper Vicario apologised to the Spurs fans and said his side did not show enough fight.
“We need to fight every day, and fight every duel. In that aspect, we didn’t play our game,” he told Sky Sports. “You can speak about tactics and build-up, but if you don’t put in a performance as a collective …
“Today, we didn’t show it.”
Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the North London football derby as Arsenal host Spurs at the Emirates.
Who: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
What: English Premier League
Where: The Emirates Stadium, London
When: Sunday at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The standout Premier League game of the weekend sees Arsenal host Tottenham in the North London derby, with Spurs desperate to put a dent in their bitter rivals’ title campaign while reinvigorating their own stumbling season.
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League leaders Arsenal start the weekend on 26 points, four points above second-placed Man City, but their run of 10 straight wins – and eight successive clean sheets – was brought to an end in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland before the international break.
Spurs head into the weekend in fifth place with 18 points, a position that probably flatters Thomas Frank’s side, who have been sorely lacking in creativity while also being prone to defensive lapses.
Arsenal have dominated recent derbies – unbeaten in the last six – but Spurs travel to the Emirates boasting the best away record in the league this season.
Gabriel faces ‘weeks’ out in major blow for Arsenal
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes will be out of action for “weeks” after picking up an injury during international duty, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday.
The Brazil centre-back has been ever-present in the Premier League in a Gunners back line that has conceded just five goals in 11 games, but he suffered a thigh injury during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
“It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our back line and, to me, it’s never a positive thing,” Arteta said.
“The good thing is that we have very good options and people have to stand up now and do the job.”
A ‘privilege’ to lead Arsenal in the derby, Arteta says
Arteta spoke to Arsenal’s in-house media about the passion of the north London derby and the sense of “privilege” he feels to be a part of these games.
“There’s been a lot of shifts as well over the years, we’ve been more dominant, and it’s just beautiful, especially when we play at home in front of our people, we know what it means to them,” he said.
“The energy that they’re going to bring, the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action, it’s just a privilege to play those kinds of games. We cannot wait to get to Sunday.”
Frank wants ‘controlled chaos’ against Arsenal
Tottenham’s boss admitted on Friday that Spurs are some way behind their archrivals but believes they can disrupt Arteta’s side on Sunday.
“The interesting thing is that probably both Mikel and I would like a little bit more of a controlled game, but it will probably end up absolutely madhouse,” Frank, who will be getting his first taste of the derby, told reporters.
“I expect a difficult [match], but a game that can go anywhere.”
Frank is regarded as a far more pragmatic coach than Ange Postecoglou, the man he replaced in the close season, with an emphasis on set-pieces and data that served him so well at Brentford.
However, Frank will not be telling his side just to try and grind out a point on Sunday.
“Definitely embrace controlled chaos, or chaos we like to create, if that makes sense, because chaos can be good,” Frank said. “Chaos can be transitions, high-pressure and set-piece second phases, and all those areas are, of course, areas we would like to exploit if we can.
“By the way, we will never go for a 0-0. It maybe will end 0-0 but we will always try to win. Always, always, always.”
Tottenham’s impressive away form
Frank’s side have taken 13 points from five games and the Dane said that will give them confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
“Arsenal are at the top of the table, by quite a distance,” said Frank. “They’ve been good for a few years, but we need to do everything we can to turn that around.
“It’s one game on Sunday, one game where I’m convinced that we’ll compete a lot. I will do everything we can to beat them.”
Head-to-head
Arsenal and Spurs have locked horns on 211 occasions, with Arsenal winning 89 of those games, Tottenham winning 67, and 55 ending in draws.
The Gunners did the double over their rivals last season, and Tottenham have won just two of their last 10 meetings with Arsenal since December 2020.
Tottenham have not won at the Emirates since a League Cup clash in 2018 and their last Premier League victory away to their neighbours was a 3-2 win 15 years ago.
The last Spurs victory over Arsenal was a 3-0 home win in the Premier League back in May 2022.
Arsenal’s team news
While Arsenal will miss Gabriel, they have good back-up options in summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.
Club captain Martin Odegaard remains some way from availability after a knee injury, while Kai Havertz has suffered a relapse in his injury recovery and has been ruled out. Forward Gabriel Jesus is slowly being rehabilitated after his ACL tear but is not expected to return until the new year.
Meanwhile, Striker Viktor Gyokeres, wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke, and left-back Riccardo Calafiori are major doubts as they continue to recover from injuries.
Leandro Trossard is likely to get the nod to start as a false nine, while Eberechi Eze is set to play on the left wing.
Arsenal’s predicted starting XI
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Merino, Trossard
Tottenham’s team news
Forward Randal Kolo Muani is available after suffering a head injury in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United last time out.
Defender Archie Gray is also available, as is midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who was forced out of the Sweden squad, and Pape Matar Sarr is also in the Spurs squad despite suffering an injury while playing for Senegal.
It remains unclear whether winger Mohammed Kudus will have recovered from a knock to return against the Gunners.
Ben Davies, Kota Takai, and Radu Dragusin are all serious doubts as they struggle to recover from knocks.
Spurs remain without Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Yves Bissouma due to longer-term injuries.
Tottenham’s predicted starting XI
Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha, Simons; Johnson, Richarlison, Odobert
Matthijs de Ligt equalised in the sixth minute of a dramatic period of stoppage time to earn Manchester United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Tottenham looked like claiming all three points on Sunday when Richarlison glanced in a header in the first minute of added-on time, completing a Spurs comeback from a goal down.
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There was still time for de Ligt to find space at the back post at a corner to direct a header goalwards and over the line before Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario clawed the ball away.
Trailing to Bryan Mbeumo’s 32nd-minute header, Tottenham dominated the second half and grabbed an equaliser in the 84th through substitute Mathys Tel’s shot that deflected in off de Ligt.
De Ligt said United deserved more from the game than a point.
“I’m proud of the team for how we fought back and got a point in a really difficult stadium,” he said.
“You can see that we still have the fire in our belly to get a goal, to get a point – even with 10 men,” he added, as United played the last few minutes a man down as Benjamin Sesko was forced off injured after United had made all their five substitutions.
However, Tel said he felt Spurs merited all three points.
“We are feeling 50-50, we conceded a goal, but our reaction in the second half was top,” Tel said.
“We changed the game, but we are mad because we have to win today. The subs brought energy to change the game, and we showed great mentality; we deserved to win.”
United extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games – three wins followed by two draws – while Tottenham have only won one of their six home games so far.
However, the Red Devils have now failed to beat Spurs in their previous eight meetings, but it was the most recent of these that will live long in the memory of the Tottenham support.
Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought thanks to a scrappy 1-0 win in the Europa League final in May, which also took them into the Champions League while United missed out on European football altogether.
Despite the huge blow to United’s finances and prestige, Ruben Amorim is making the most of having more time on the training field to finally build some momentum after a tough first year at Old Trafford.
Unlike most of United’s big-money signings in recent years, Bryan Mbeumo has proved his worth since a 65-million-pound ($86m) move from Brentford in July.
The Cameroonian was named Premier League player of the month for October and took his tally to four goals in as many games when he headed in from Amad Diallo’s cross on 32 minutes.
Spurs were booed off after a woeful attacking display in losing a London derby 1-0 to Chelsea last weekend.
After another dreary first 45 minutes, the hosts came to life early in the second period.
Senne Lammens produced a brilliant stop to turn Cristian Romero’s flick behind.
The Belgian goalkeeper was quickly called into action again to parry Joao Palhinha’s effort.
Brennan Johnston, who scored the winner when the sides last met in Bilbao, was then denied an equaliser by the offside flag.
Tottenham’s burst of attacking threat quickly fizzled out, though, and discontent among the home fans with manager Thomas Frank showed when his decision to replace Xavi Simons was roundly booed.
However, the Spurs boss can claim his changes turned the game around.
Destiny Udogie crossed for fellow substitute Tel to turn and fire into the top corner via a deflection off de Ligt.
Wilson Odobert, introduced off the bench at half-time, then curled a shot towards the far corner that Richarlison flicked in to leave Lammens helpless.
The Brazilian tore off his shirt and was reduced to tears in his celebration.
Yet, it still was not enough to earn Tottenham a first home league win since the opening weekend of the season.
De Ligt was offered too much space at the back post from Bruno Fernandes’s corner, and his header was too powerful for Vicario.
Later, Arsenal take a six-point lead into a match at Sunderland, while Chelsea host Wolverhampton in one of three other games.
Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Spurs host United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
When: Saturday at 12:30pm (12:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 09:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The weekend’s Premier League action begins in north London where sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur welcome eighth-placed Manchester United.
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Provisional second place in the table is up for grabs in a grudge game for Ruben Amorim’s United side after Spurs beat them 1-0 in last season’s Europa League final to prevent the Red Devils from playing in the Champions League this season.
While the hosts are seeking to bounce back from a home defeat by Chelsea last weekend, the visitors are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches – a sequence that includes a 2-1 win over champions and archrivals Liverpool, as well as last weekend’s battling 2-2 draw away at Nottingham Forest.
Frank ‘happy’ with Spurs response to Chelsea defeat
Following an insipid defeat to Chelsea last weekend, Spurs have now lost three Premier League games at home this season. Their record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the last 12 months is even worse – they have won just four out of 20 home league games, drawing four and losing 12.
Tottenham did at least get a boost in midweek as Spurs thrashed Copenhagen 4-0 at home to record their biggest win since manager Thomas Frank took charge.
Frank was reluctant to point to the victory over a team from his native Denmark as a turning point after a difficult spell of one win in five, but it lifts the mood before Saturday’s visit from Manchester United.
“We talk a lot about that bounce-back mentality because in life and football there will be setbacks,” he said.
“Every team will experience that and it’s how we react to that to come out after a bad game or a bad spell and come back to it. That’s part of a good team. I’m very happy with the response the players came with.”
Van de Ven makes amends with wonder goal
Micky van de Ven got back in favour with Frank as the Tottenham defender’s stunning solo goal during the rout of Copenhagen drew comparisons to Lionel Messi.
Van de Ven and Djed Spence were forced to apologise to Tottenham boss Frank this week after they ignored his plea to applaud fans following Saturday’s loss to Chelsea.
But Van de Ven retained his place in the starting lineup and produced a moment of magic, running over half the length of the pitch before delivering a clinical finish to score.
“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,” Frank said.
“I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going.”
‘We are a better team’
United will not need motivation against Spurs, having lost all four games they played against Tottenham last season.
When asked how United had changed since the Europa League final, Amorim replied: “First of all, the characteristics of the players. So, we are a better team, we play better, we understand the game better. I think we are more confident.
“We reached that final confident that we could win because we were doing well in Europe, but in this moment we play with a different confidence.
“We manage the moments of the game better. But if you remember that game, they have that shot on the goal, they won the game.
“So, I expect a different game, that we can play better, but also to have a little bit luck to help us to win the game.”
Amorim hits back at Ronaldo criticism
Cristiano Ronaldo, who won eight trophies at United, said this week that United were “not in a good path” after a wretched season in which the Red Devils finished 15th, and warned that Amorim was “not going to do miracles” at Old Trafford.
Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag in November 2024, hit back by urging fans and pundits alike to look forward rather than dwell on the past.
“Of course, he has a huge impact in everything he said,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“What we need to focus [on] is in the future. We know that we as a club made a lot of mistakes in the past, but we are trying to change that. So let’s not focus on what happened. Let’s focus [on] what we are doing now.
“We are changing a lot of things in the structure, the way we do things, the way we want the players to behave. We are doing that and we are improving.”
Head-to-head
The two clubs have faced each other 204 times, with United winning 96 of those games, Tottenham winning 57 and 51 ending as draws.
Despite doing the league double over Man United last season, Spurs have only won four of their last 12 Premier League games against the Red Devils, with three of their last five victories coming at Old Trafford.
As well as beating United 1-0 in the Europa League final last season, Spurs also won a wild League Cup quarterfinal 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The last time United beat Spurs was back in October 2022, when goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes gave the Red Devils a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
Tottenham Hotspur’s team news
Spurs could be missing as many as 10 players for United’s visit, with James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies, Archie Gray and Kota Takai all ruled out through injury.
Winger Mohammed Kudus is a doubt after he missed the win over Copenhagen with a knock, potentially opening the way for Brennan Johnson to start on the right.
Midfielder Lucas Bergvall is unlikely to feature due to concussion protocols following a blow to the head that forced his substitution against Chelsea last weekend.
Tottenham’s predicted starting lineup
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha, Sarr; Johnson, Richarlison, Simons
Manchester United’s early team news
United’s only reported injury concern is with centre back Lisandro Martinez, who has returned to training after being sidelined since February with a knee injury but is still regaining full fitness.
Harry Maguire returned to the bench for United’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest last weekend after recovering from a knock, so Amorim could recall the defender or stick with Leny Yoro in the back three.
United’s predicted starting lineup
Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko
Manchester City’s troubles from last season have been exposed once more in a humbling 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham that raises questions about their quest to regain the Premier League title.
Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha struck for the Europa League winners on Saturday just before half-time as Spurs went top of the table, making it a perfect start for manager Thomas Frank after two league games in charge.
City’s run of four consecutive titles came to a spectacular end last season as they finished a distant third behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
A 4-0 thrashing of Wolves on the opening weekend of the campaign showed glimpses of a new-look City back to their best.
However, a series of defensive issues remain unresolved as manager Pep Guardiola must decide on who will be his number one goalkeeper going forward after a day to forget for James Trafford.
The England international retained his place in goal despite the return to fitness of Ederson.
The Brazilian is reportedly on the verge of joining Turkish giants Galatasaray, which would free up City to make a move for out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City’s failure to get those deals done before the final week of the transfer window came back to haunt them in a familiar tale for Guardiola’s men against Tottenham.
In the last 13 Premier League meetings between the sides, City have won just four despite several changes of management at Spurs in that time.
Frank is the latest man in the Tottenham dugout and has made a highly impressive start.
Spurs were minutes away from beating PSG in the UEFA Super Cup before losing on penalties and have taken maximum points from their opening two Premier League games without conceding a goal.
Omar Marmoush’s return was one of two City changes as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri had to settle for a place on the bench.
Marmoush flashed a shot across goal and was then denied by Guglielmo Vicario with City’s best chance before conceding.
City’s high line was easily exposed in an embarrassing early exit from the Club World Cup to Saudi side Al-Hilal last month and is an issue Guardiola still has to resolve.
Tottenham took the lead at 35 minutes when Mohammed Kudus fed Richarlison, and he squared for Johnson to power past Trafford.
An offside flag briefly halted Spurs’ joy until a VAR review showed the slipping Ruben Dias had played Richarlison onside.
City then completely lost their composure for the period before half-time.
Trafford was fortunate to avoid being punished after rushing outside his box to block a shot from Kudus.
But the 22-year-old then endured a moment that might cost him the chance to be Guardiola’s number one this season.
Trafford’s attempted pass to Nico Gonzalez inside his own box was intercepted by Pape Matar Sarr, and even though the goalkeeper recovered to deny Richarlison, Palhinha smashed home the rebound.
Erling Haaland had the chance to reduce City’s arrears in first-half stoppage time but headed over the goal to sum up a tough afternoon for the Norwegian.
Spurs let a two-goal lead slip late on against PSG in Frank’s first game in charge but rarely looked in danger of suffering a similar fate on Saturday.
Haaland wasted City’s other big opportunity to gain a foothold when he overhit a pass to Rayan Cherki with just Vicario to beat.
City fell to defeat with a whimper and could have been further punished on the counterattack when Trafford made good saves to deny Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert in stoppage time.
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