Man United v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Kulusevski and Solanke score in big win

Form this season - all competitions:

Man Utd

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Spurs

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Not too much to take as yet - Spurs’ three in a row have come against Coventry, Brentford and Qarabag. United’s only win against top-flight opponents in their current four in a row was at newly promoted Southampton.

It was in the summer of 2023 when Erik ten Hag declared he wanted Manchester United to be “the best transition team in the world”. If he has succeeded, it is probably not quite in the meaning he intended, as the Red Devils enter this weekend following a 1-1 draw with Twente.

His side conceded too many goals on the counter-attack last season, forever looking susceptible to the break. But United are specialists in transition in a different respect. In the third season of Ten Hag’s reign, after 122 games and an outlay of £600m, they remain in transition.

They can seem forever mired there. It may be unfair to judge the Dutchman’s newest team after five league games, before the biggest summer signing Leny Yoro has even made his debut, but they are six points off the lead in the Premier League already. A marquee match against Tottenham is also a mid-table clash, with the sides sitting in 11th and 10th. Lose and the temptation would be to suggest it will already be a 12th successive season without a true title challenge.

Most of that is not Ten Hag’s fault, of course. But the club’s new chief executive Omar Berrada has set the target of winning the title by 2028 to mark their 150th anniversary. Which would require United to exit transition, to trade their inconsistency for the kind of sustained excellence the true contenders display.

United showed signs of it in Ten Hag’s debut campaign, during a run of 40 games that produced just four defeats. Their last six results – two defeats, two wins, two draws – follow a season when their longest unbeaten run spanned five matches.

Read Richard Jolly’s pre-match preview:

As for Man United, there’s been a lot of talk over Bruno Fernandes’ lack of end product - one assist and no goals so far this term from five games. Nobody for the team has actually netted more than once or assisted more than once in the Premier League, however.

But is Fernandes underperforming in terms of execution, or merely playing poorly and not contributing?

He has a combined xG for the season of only 1.9, not high considering he’s still averaging 3.5 shots per 90, and six chances created isn’t high for him either. Missing three big chances is his biggest downfall so far though - while Zirkzee and Garnacho have missed four apiece.

Son hasn’t been Spurs’ go-to man for taking chances this season, but he has certainly been a creative force for them. His four big chances created is the highest in the squad this term, as are his 13 key passes in total.

But in Kulusevski and Maddison they still have two outlets who are laying on the chances and capable of adding goals too - Maddison netted his first of the season last week, though he’s back in central midfield rather than an attacking role now.

A big miss to not have Son, but also a big chance for Timo Werner - it’s his first start of the campaign and he has only 38 minutes of Premier League action to his name so far.

The eyebrow-raising pairing of James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield continues, so it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top of that particular battle, with Christian Eriksen removed from United’s engine room this time around.

An hour until kick-off at Old Trafford; a win for the hosts today will send them above Spurs and up to eighth. Spurs can go to the same position if they take the three points, while a draw leaves both in the same positions as now, tenth and eleventh.

Not where either one wants to be.

Spurs are ahead of United on goal difference, scoring four more this term, with both conceding five.

No Son Heung-min for Spurs - and Ugarte makes his first league start for United!

Son Heung-min misses out after limping off Tottenham’s win over Qarabag in midweek. He is replaced by Timo Werner, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski also starting in an attacking line-up named by Ange Postecoglou.

Manuel Ugarte makes his first start for Manchester United. He replaces Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee all start.

Man Utd XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirkzee, Rashford.

Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Maddison, Bentancur; Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner; Solanke.

Team news coming up in just a few minutes - the big questions will be over whether Ten Hag starts Rashford or Amad on the wings, with Garnacho now looking a likely starter once more.

Whether Ugarte starts in midfield is another debate, while Spurs are hoping for Son to be fit.