Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview, team news, predictions & H2H

⚽ Manchester United vs Tottenham
Competition	Premier League, Matchday 6
Kickoff	Saturday, October 10, 2026
Venue	Old Trafford, Manchester
Where to Watch	SuperSport and DStv Now (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Tottenham have taken just two points from their opening five Premier League matches, their worst start to a league season on record.

Manchester United will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in four of Manchester United’s Premier League goals this season, and will be looking to add to that tally tomorrow.

Tottenham arrive on the back of their worst start to a Premier League season on record, taking only two points from their opening five matches under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, while Manchester United sit eight places and three points above them in 12th position.

Match Preview: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

No side in the Premier League has taken fewer points than Tottenham’s two from their first five fixtures.

Tottenham have won none of their last five matches in all competitions, losing 0-2 at home to Newcastle, drawing 0-0 in back-to-back games against Nottingham Forest and Everton, exiting the League Cup 1-3 at Liverpool, and losing 2-3 at Aston Villa.

That run has produced three goals scored, eight conceded, and only two clean sheets.

De Zerbi, appointed at the end of March after Thomas Frank’s sacking, is still searching for the defensive solidity that defined his best work at previous clubs.

Manchester United, by contrast, sit eight places and three points better off in 12th, and their underlying form reads stronger than the table suggests.

Michael Carrick’s side have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five matches in all competitions, scoring nine and conceding seven, including a comfortable 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah FK sandwiched between a home league defeat to Manchester City and a League Cup exit to Brighton.

Kobbie Mainoo returns to contention after sitting out the international break for workload reasons rather than injury, a timely boost in central midfield for a side that has drawn two of its last three Premier League matches.

Head-to-Head Record: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

This will be the first meeting between the two sides this season, so there is no reverse fixture to draw on, but last season’s head-to-head makes for a useful guide.

Tottenham have won three of the last five meetings between the clubs, including a 4-3 League Cup win in December 2024 and 2025’s Europa League final defeat of United in Bilbao.

United’s response came at Old Trafford, though. A 2-0 Premier League win in February, and a 2-2 draw away at Tottenham the previous November.

Over the past 36 fixtures, Manchester United have won 16 games against Tottenham Hotspur, with eight draws between them.

Team News: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham

Tottenham’s injury list is dominated by attackers, with Mykhaylo Mudryk and Wilson Odobert both missing and Dejan Kulusevski only around a quarter fit, leaving De Zerbi short of options to freshen up a front line that has misfired all season.

Micky van de Ven is expected to return at centre-back after a minor hand injury on international duty, while Jan Paul van Hecke’s fitness is a closer call, with Marcos Senesi waiting to partner him if he does not recover in time.

Manchester United

Carrick’s defensive options are stretched too, with Matthijs de Ligt still working his way back from back surgery and Shaw carrying a knock into the weekend, leaving Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez as the settled centre-back pairing.

Marcus Rashford’s involvement is the biggest doubt in attack after a knock picked up against Fulham, with Bryan Mbeumo the likeliest replacement if he fails to shake it off in time. Benjamin Sesko is out.

Tottenham	Manchester United
OUT: Pedro Porro (hamstring) OUT: Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle) OUT: Wilson Odobert (knee) OUT: Dejan Kulusevski (knee, around a quarter fit) OUT: Xavi Simons (cruciate ligament, long-term) OUT: Richarlison (not registered in the 25-man Premier League squad) DOUBT: Jan Paul van Hecke (foot knock)	OUT: Matthijs de Ligt (back, post-surgery) OUT: Manuel Ugarte (cruciate ligament, long-term) OUT: Tom Heaton (hamstring) OUT: Benjamin Sesko (shin/calf, confirmed out by Michael Carrick) DOUBT: Amad Diallo (muscle/ankle) DOUBT: Noussair Mazraoui (back) DOUBT: Luke Shaw (physical discomfort) DOUBT: Marcus Rashford (hamstring knock)

Star Player Comparison: Bryan Mbeumo vs Dominic Solanke

Bryan Mbeumo Forward · Manchester United	Stat	Dominic Solanke Striker · Tottenham
2	Goals	0
0	Assists	0
5 (5 starts)	Appearances	5 (2 starts)
7.42	FotMob rating	5.96

The Managers: Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi

Michael Carrick took interim charge of Manchester United in January 2026 after Ruben Amorim’s sacking and was confirmed as permanent manager on a two-year contract in May, the clearest sign yet that the club trusts his rebuilding work.

Roberto De Zerbi walked into a relegation fight when Tottenham appointed him at the end of March, and results have been slow to turn around.

Tottenham head into this match five games without a win in all competitions, including that League Cup exit at Liverpool, which he described as a difficult moment for the club.

Tactical Preview: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Carrick is expected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 shape that has underpinned United’s rebuild, Fernandes operating centrally behind Matheus Cunha with Mbeumo and Rashford providing width and pace in behind a Tottenham back line already missing Pedro Porro.

De Zerbi’s 4-2-3-1 asks Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur to control possession in front of a makeshift back four, but that same structure has left space for opponents to break into after turnovers this season, exactly the kind of transition United’s front three can exploit.

Tottenham’s wingers, Omar Marmoush and Savio, will look to isolate United’s stretched full-backs, but with Diogo Dalot fit and Shaw managing a knock of his own, that battle is likely to be tighter than Spurs would like.

Betting Tips for Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Score Prediction: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

🔮 Manchester United 3 – 1 Tottenham

Manchester United’s attack has scored nine goals in its last five matches and should have enough in behind a Tottenham defence missing Porro and leaning on makeshift cover at centre-back, while Tottenham’s goal threat has been blunted by Mudryk’s and Kulusevski’s absences. Likely scorers: Bruno Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha for United, Mateus Fernandes for Tottenham.