How Alderweireld & Mkhitaryan Will Decide Manchester United vs. Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur face a Premier League challenge they rarely pass this weekend: prising three points away from a trip to face Manchester United. They've only managed to do it twice in the league in its current format, despite trying 24 times, and even during their very best seasons, they often falter at Old Trafford.
The Lilywhites' most recent tussle with United in the north-west ended in familiar disappointment: Despite putting together a good performance, they managed to lose the game courtesy of a Kyle Walker own goal. It was a match filled with anomalies, as even the ever-impressive Mousa Dembele struggled and was partially culpable in the buildup to the goal.
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But there's every chance Spurs smell blood here, as United have been playing well and dominating long periods of games but often conceding late equalisers. Last weekend's 1-1 draw with Everton came via a late concession of a penalty, and a similar story unfolded against Stoke City and Arsenal. Manager Jose Mourinho looks bemused, the players look frustrated and the results probably aren't matching performances.
Both sides won in their respective European competitions this week, with Spurs smashing CSKA Moscow at Wembley and Manchester United making the difficult trip to Ukraine to face Zorya on Thursday night.
Manchester United Team News
Jose Mourinho welcomed back Eric Bailly from a knee ligament injury on Thursday, and the Ivorian played spectacularly, navigating an icy, rocky pitch to record five tackles and 69-74 completed passes (93 percent accuracy), per WhoScored.com.
Sunday might be too much too soon, but this Mourinho will now surely wish to play Bailly against Spurs. He partnered Marcos Rojo in Ukraine, but Phil Jones would likely come back in, as he's by far the more impressive of the two deputies. According to the Express, Chris Smalling remains injured.
Mourinho's midfield shape will determine the personnel, and sadly it's very tough to second-guess. The Portuguese has flitted from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 and back again with regularity, utilising the former against Zorya with Wayne Rooney as the No. 10. At other times, it's been Paul Pogba. Perhaps Michael Carrick will partner Ander Herrera, and Pogba will push forward again?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will lead the line, Henrikh Mkhitaryan will surely start after his display in the Europa League, and that leaves Juan Mata vs. Anthony Martial for the other flank.
Tottenham Hotspur Team News
For the first time in a while, it's seemingly all good news for Mauricio Pochettino and his team selection. Key players have returned from injury, the team has scored eight goals in their last two games, and there's a sheen of confidence returning to the setup.
Toby Alderweireld played 22 minutes off the bench against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, and that's huge. If he's fit, he'll partner Jan Vertonghen at Old Trafford, and although that's great news, it does create a knock-on issue for a certain someone.
Eric Dier, who has been deputising for Alderweireld, would ostensibly move back into midfield, but Dembele is a key man in that area, and Victor Wanyama hasn't missed a Premier League game yet. It might be that Dier finds himself out of the XI, unless he can oust the Kenyan.
Christian Eriksen is flashing a bit of form (finally), while Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli should make up the other two-thirds of Pochettino's attacking midfield trio. It's an easy choice for as long as Erik Lamela is injured. Harry Kane leads the line, as he's scored seven goals in six since returning.
Pressure Point 1: The Impact of Alderweireld
Within 10 minutes of setting foot on the pitch on Wednesday, Alderweireld had been intrinsically involved in a Tottenham goal. It was an immediate reminder of just how impactful he is for his club.
Bringing the ball out of defence, he fired a firm, accurate pass into the channel for Kane. The striker, collected, turned and lifted in a lovely cross that was piled over the line by a combination of Alli and Igor Akinfeev: 3-1, game over.
Alderweireld is not simply a rock-solid centre-back who dominates aerially and makes key recovery tackles to prevent goals; he is not limited to a defensive brief. The fact is he's the best passing centre-back in the division, and his long, raking balls out from the back became as key a feature of Spurs' play last season as any form of pressing.
Alderweireld's passing will bring Alli back to life, as his clever darts will be found. He's able to transition Spurs from defence to attack quicker than anyone by firing pinpoint 60-yard balls from the back line.
Also, Spurs have found success in pushing their full-backs up to the pitch for goal kicks, feeding Alderweireld and allowing him to fire a pass into the air for one of Walker or Danny Rose to head on. They're surprisingly springy, and a good knockdown into the channel can release a runner and result in a goal seconds later. No one is able to play that initial pass as effectively as Alderweireld; Spurs will be far more efficient with the ball now he's back.
Pressure Point 2: The impact of Mkhitaryan
"It was a strong mentality," Mourinho told reporters of Mkhitaryan after he wowed against Zorya, per ManUtd.com. "He was determined to fight against his difficult adaptation. He worked hard physically and tactically—the talent was there, we knew that when we bought him."
Given what the Armenian has flashed in his recent playing opportunities, the United fanbase might just melt if he's not selected in the starting XI for Sunday. His weaving, jinking goal against Zorya—on a pitch that resembled a muddied ice rink in parts, remember—was breathtaking, and he represents the sort of attacking inspiration this team needs.
Presumably, Mkhitaryan would play from the right flank, giving him a mouth-watering one vs. one battle against Rose. Both are quick, both are rapid over long distances and both love to travel with the ball at their feet. It's both a technical and physical test, and one viewers will relish if it transpires.
The key for Mourinho is to link the midfield line to the attacking line—however possible. In the 4-3-3 used against Swansea City, Pogba's roaming No. 8 role linked Zlatan to his deeper colleagues, and both players played superbly as a result. If Mourinho does persist with the 4-2-3-1 against Spurs, there needs to be a ball-carrier who can link the lines, and that's not going to be Wayne Rooney in current form.
Mkhitaryan, ever the hard worker and clearly eager to impress, will need to track Rose up and down the pitch to prevent the left-back having a big impact on the game, then also provide a safety blanket when moving the ball up the pitch.
To put it simply: It's a much bigger task than putting Zorya to bed.
