English Premier
2011-08-22 - Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football : English Premier League
Monday 22 August 2011 - Kickoff 8pm
This game is live on TV
Manchester United
Manchester United got their new season off to a winning start and I think it was a relief to many of the fans to see the side picking up 3 points away from Old Trafford after all the troubles of last season. The first half performance at West Brom was a sight to behold, but the team dropped off their performances and were perhaps a little fortunate to get the win.
The error by David De Gea was under the spotlight this week, but I think the press and 'experts' are too quick to get on the back of a player that had over 100 appearances for Atletico Madrid and is just 20 years old. Yes it was a bad mistake, but I think he showed a lot of courage in the 2nd half under intense physical pressure. Also, don't forget how badly Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra performed in their debuts, a 3-1 loss to Manchester City, and yet they have come through perfectly well.
The form at Old Trafford was the key for United to win the title last season, winning 18 of their 19 League games while scoring 49 goals and conceding just 12. While it is unlikely the team can reproduce that form at home again this season, they will still expect to pick up the vast majority of their points there.
United have won 15 League games in a row at Old Trafford, a run that started with a 2-0 win over Tottenham. That becomes a run of 17 winning games at Old Trafford in all competitions.
There are a few injuries for Sir Alex Ferguson to contend with as Rafael, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Javier Hernandez are all missing. That means a youthful defence, one that could be around for years at Old Trafford, will start including Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Phil Jones. Patrice Evra is back in the squad.
Tottenham Hotspur
This will be the first game for Harry Redknapp's team in the Premier League this season after their opening day game against Everton was cancelled thanks to the London Riots that had taken place in the week of the game. The team got a run out in a glorified training session when they beat Hearts 0-5 in the Europa League on Thursday, but this is clearly an altogether different test for them.
The fans and management got a taste of the Champions League last season and their disappointment of missing out on a top 4 finish was matched by Luka Modric who demanded a move away from the club, preferably to Chelsea. There has also been a surprise lack of players coming into White Hart Lane this Summer, although deals for Lassana Diarra and Emmanuel Adebayor seem close.
Finishing in the top 4 will be the aim this season, and the fans must feel it is a distinct possibility with local rivals Arsenal looking a little vulnerable in the final spot (assuming United, Manchester City and Chelsea will be good enough to earn 3 of the 4 places). Spurs had a decent away record of 7-5-7 last season, scoring 25 goals and conceding 27, and only Arsenal and Manchester City won more away games.
It was a bad run of form at the end of the season that cost Tottenham their chances of reaching the top 4, and they had actually failed to win their last 5 away games before beating Liverpool at Anfield on the penultimate weekend.
There are contrasting reports surrounding Luka Modric, with some sources saying he will miss this trip to Old Trafford, while others believe he will start. Ledley King, William Gallas and Alan Hutton are missing, while Peter Crouch is a doubt.
Head to Head
Tottenham do not enjoy playing Manchester United, with a fair share of controversy contributing to the fact they have not won at Old Trafford since 1989.
In recent times it was only a linesman who couldn't recognise a ball sitting 5 yards behind the line, and a controversial penalty incident that has stopped Tottenham getting a win here.
United have beaten Spurs 8 times in a row at Old Trafford in all competitions, including a 2-0 win last season.
There has now been 23 meetings between these sides in all competitions, both here and at White Hart Lane, since Spurs were last victorious.
Prediction
This looks like quite a tough match to predict considering the number of unknown factors in the game- how will the United young defence cope with the pace and ingenuity of Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart?; the Old Trafford 'fortress' factor; Tottenham's poor record against United to name a few.
Personally I think United are a decent price at 1.66 to win at home, especially considering the talent United have in attacking positions which could expose a soft underbelly Spurs have.
However, my concern for the defensive side of things and how they deal with Spurs reduces my enthusiasm for that, so I will instead take a look at another market for a small play in that game.
One market that was very lucrative last season was United to be winning at half time and full time in games at home, a winner in 16 of the 19 League games they played and they only conceded 1 goal in the first half at Old Trafford.
However, the concern I talked about above will put me off that too.
So for a small interest I have looked at the first goalscorer market and I think there could be some mileage in picking Wayne Rooney- he will be leading the line again since Javier Hernandez is injured, and he is looking sharper and sharper since the back end of the last season.
Rooney also scored first at West Brom last week, while he is also the penalty taker at the club. With the service coming in from the likes of Nani and Ashley Young, Rooney could be presented with a couple of chances and that will be my pick in this game.
The Pick :
Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
