Manchester United: 5 Key Questions Ahead of United's Match vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United's controversial 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield was what is was—no commentating or arguing is going to change the result—and there's little doubt that the result is a huge confidence boost for the Red Devils.

After struggling in the opening week against Everton, United have now won their last four Premier League matches in a row and are at home to welcome a Tottenham Hotspur side that has struggled to get going in the year so far.

Andre Villas-Boas' side has great attacking talent and depth right across midfield and attack, but they just haven't been able to develop the free-flowing, quality football that the manager would have wanted to see from his team by now.

That's not to say, however, that there aren't serious questions over United heading into this one; the Red Devils also are nowhere near the perfect football team and still have plenty of questions hanging over them for their match against Tottenham.

Let's take a look at some of the key questions for United in this one.

What role will Wayne Rooney have?

The England international made his successful return for Manchester United during the week in the Capital One Cup, after spending four weeks on the sidelines due to a leg gash he suffered earlier in the season.

His return is great news for the Red Devils, who have been lifted by the exquisite and professional play of Robin van Persie in his absence, with the Dutch striker netting five goals so far this year to lead all scorers in the Premier League.

But as much as the return of Rooney is good news for United, it is likely to once again open the debate about how to best use him and Van Persie together.

Van Persie has excelled in Rooney's absence, but can he thrive in his return? Will the work rate and efficiency of both world-class strikers be heightened, or will they fail to find their groove together and dominate Spurs' defense as best they could.

Huge question for United heading into this one.

What will the defense look like?

Yet as big as that question is for the Red Devils, there is no bigger question at the moment than that of the defense, with United desperate not to let the injuries that derailed their campaign last year do the same again this season.

Captain and star definer Nemanja Vidic is out, as are Chris Smalling and Phil Jones—leaving Ferguson with limited options once again as to who he can play at the back to stop the likes of Clint Dempsey and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Rio Ferdinand and Rafael Da Silva are both obvious inclusions, and the Red Devils manager may also look to Alexander Buttner over Patrice Evra for this match.

Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley could both drop into central defense if required, but it isn't the ideal situation for United to be dealing with this early in the season.

How do they shut down Moussa Dembele?

I'm convinced that in any side the Belgian international is in, if you can effectively shut down Moussa Dembele, you can shut down the rest of his team with him.

It was true at Fulham, and depending on where he plays in this match (if he plays at all), it might also be true for his time at the North London club.

If played in the middle of the pitch—in attacking midfield—and allowed to push forward and generate the power and drive for the attack, then Dembele is a real threat.

His threat would be not unlike the threat generated by Marouane Fellaini in the opening round—a match that the Toffees dominated United and should have won by a bigger margin than just one goal.

Tottenham have a plethora of attacking options that, when firing, can provide many questions about who to pick up and who to leave. However, if United can effectively shut down Dembele, then they'll have a great chance to shut down much more of their attack also.

Should the Red Devils persist with Nani?

There's been little doubt that Nani has been poor so far this season for the Red Devils, with the Portuguese winger struggling to make any impact on the left flank in the absence of England international Ashley Young.

With Young still out until mid-October (according to Physio Room), Nani could again be chosen out on the left flank—or is he even worth persisting with in this match?

Ryan Giggs was strong last week as captain for United, and with players such as Nick Powell, Anderson and even Alexander Buttner as potential options out on the left, Ferguson is presented with a lovely dilemma as to who to select.

I still think he'll go with Nani, who can step it up in big games when United need him most. Hopefully, he'll realize that Saturday is one of those games.

Will Robin van Persie be the difference once more?

As mentioned before, few players have had the same impact through the opening few weeks of the English Premier League that Robin van Persie has had for United.

The Dutch international has been superb in attack, and he has single-handedly dragged the Red Devils out of certain defeats into victories—a testament to the class and talent that exists in the 29-year-old.

So will he be the difference once more?

You have to think that the answer to that question is intrinsically tied up with the answer to the first one, surrounding his relationship with Rooney and, to an extent, the likes of Antonio Valencia and Shinji Kagawa behind him.

Jan Vertonghen will likely be the man tasked with stopping Van Persie; a more than capable former Eredivisie captain who has looked strong through the opening few weeks of the Premier League this season.

Can Van Persie work his magic once more, or will he struggle to live up to the incredible reputation that he's built for himself over the past four weeks?

We'll just have to wait and see.

What are you looking forward to seeing from United vs. Tottenham?

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