Manchester United v. Tottenham Preview

                                 Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 25 April 2009,

Old Trafford

Kickoff: 17:30

Manchester United

Manchester United beat Portsmouth 2-0 in their last league outing, the Red Devils' third straight league win.

In their last five, Man Utd have won three and lost two, earning nine points from the potential 15. Man Utd are currently first in the league, three points clear of Liverpool with a match still in hand.

Man Utd will be without Gary Neville, John O'Shea, and Owen Hargreaves for the match, with Johnny Evans doubtful.

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur beat Newcastle United 1-0 in their last league outing, Spurs' second straight win and sixth win in their last eight matches.

In their last five, Tottenham have won four and lost one, earning themselves 12 points from the 15 available. The Spurs are currently ninth in the league, equal on points with eighth placed Fulham and three points clear of tenth placed Manchester City.

Tottenham Hotspur will be without Michael Dawson for this match, whilst Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermaine Jenas are both doubtful.

Prediction

The Spurs held out for a 0-0 draw earlier this season at White Hart Lane, whilst last season's Man Utd v. Spurs fixture ended in a 1-0 Manchester United win.

With the return of Rio Ferdinand to their backline, Man Utd have stabilised their form and picked up crucial Premier League points to see the Red Devils solid favourites to retain the title. In spite of this, the Red Devils' performances of late have been anything but convincing and it would appear that the pressure still remains on United to defend their domestic and continental titles.

Spurs, on the other hand, have been in mostly impressive form and have lost only once in their last nine matches. Currently sitting in ninth position, Spurs are genuine contenders for a spot in next season's UEFA Cup (UEFA Europa League) after being bottom of the table at one point this season.

Tottenham hold a decent record at Old Trafford, drawing two of their last four league meetings there, with Man Utd only winning the other two 1-0.

With Manchester United's questionable form still not entirely behind them, and with Spurs currently performing at their best of the season, the defending champions will have to ensure that they put in a top performance. Otherwise a surprise Tottenham draw could very well be on the cards in this match.

As always, though, Man Utd are the team to beat, and enter the match as heavy favourites with the bookmakers.

Read the complete preview with the best bookmaker odds at the Manchester United vs Tottenham odds and preview page now!

Then read previews of the other weekend matches: West Ham vs Chelsea, Hull vs Liverpool, and Arsenal vs Middlesbrough at Sports Betting Review.