After what could only be described as a shambolic away loss to Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester United need to find form – and fast. With a poor transfer window only matched by the non-entity that Tottenham endured, how will two sides lacking in fresh legs show up here?

Manchester United News

It’s hard to tell how United will line-up this year: Jose Mourinho has found a unique habit of chopping and changing. Whatever happens, expect Paul Pogba to start in the middle of the pitch, with any mixture of midfielders likely to come in alongside him. Alexis Sanchez is likely to be out, so we could see Anthony Martial play another game – or indeed Marcus Rashford, who should now be fit enough to play.

They’ll need more out of Romelu Lukaku, who was anonymous at times last time out. Expect Mourinho to ring the changes.

Tottenham News

Spurs have started the season well, with two wins against Newcastle United and Fulham respectively. While the stadium delay has put a mild dampener on things, they look well placed to have a good season despite the lack of signings.

Expect a similar – if not identical – line-up to the Fuham win. Harry Kane will likely be paired up with Dele Alli again in a second-striker role, while we can expect to see a return of some of the Spurs FIFA World Cup stars.

There’s not a great deal of change to make with Spurs at the moment, so expect a consistency and solidity to their line-ups as the season develops.

Verdict

Quality counts, and we can see both teams having enough quality to cancel each other out. We’re going to call this as an exciting and intense draw, with both teams likely to score – and both equally likely to concede.