Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon in hopes of ending their torrid record against the Londoners.
The Red Devils and Spurs have both endured relatively similar turbulent situations in recent years, which have included managerial merry-go-rounds and, as of last season, bottom-half finishes.
However, Tottenham have actually trumped United in almost all of their meetings over the last few years.
Heading into the weekend’s fixture, the Reds will be looking to claim their first win over the North London outfit since October 2022 – and there’s really no better time to do so.
Form-wise, United boast a considerably better record than their opponents, having started Michael Carrick’s reign in emphatic fashion.
A 2-0 Manchester derby victory was followed by a 3-2 triumph over league leaders Arsenal to hand them their first loss at the Emirates this season.
Last week, Carrick’s men led 2-0 up until the dying embers of their contest vs Fulham, until Raul Jimenez converted a spot-kick and winger Kevin netted a jaw-dropping strike from the edge of the area.
With the Cottagers still reeling from their comeback celebrations, United took it straight up to the other end and found a much-deserved winner courtesy of Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.
On the other hand, Spurs are winless in their last six league matches, overseeing four draws and two defeats.
They most recently came from two-nil down to clinch a point at home to Manchester City, with Dominic Solanke at the double in the second half. Their last win was on December 28 against Crystal Palace.
Surprisingly, Spurs’ form in Europe has been nothing short of spectacular; they finished fourth place out of 36 teams in the first-phase Champions League standings.
As a result, Saturday’s tie is undoubtedly a tricky one to call, though you’d expect United will be able to use their momentum to get a job done in front of their loyal supporters.
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In regard to Carrick’s team news, he is expected to be without Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt, as well as long-term absentee Patrick Dorgu.
Dorgu was enjoying his most impressive run in a United shirt since signing for the club 13 months ago, before he sustained a hamstring injury while playing against Arsenal, which has ruled him out for around 10 weeks.
De Ligt last played in November, while Mount was absent last weekend.
I’m taking nothing for granted, having seen a 2-goal advantage against Fulham disappear in the manner we become accustomed to under ETH and Amorim. There’s a lot of giddy Reds on social media right now, apparently convinced Arsenal can be overtaken by United. Well, they MIGHT lose the 5 matches necessary for that to happen if we keep winning, but even this optimistic bettor isn’t backing that. Free tip: both sides to score and over 2.5 goals. You’re welcome.