Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Ones to watch (Premier League)

Last Sunday afternoon looked a lot different for both clubs. Manchester United booked their place in the FA Cup final whilst Tottenham Hotspur were on the wrong end of a 6-1 drubbing at St. James Park.

That heavy defeat prompted a week of turbulence at Tottenham which has seen the departure of interim manager Cristian Stellini and the Spurs players offering an apology to fans where they vowed to ‘put things right’ against Manchester United. Ryan Mason has once again assumed the managerial position and will be keen to make an impression on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s victory at Wembley wasn’t plain sailing and they may have paid the price with Bruno Fernandes having to leave the pitch injured. Fears over the injury being long-term have cooled but the Portuguese midfielder is doubtful for the trip to North London.

Thursday’s game will go a long way in deciding the fate of both teams as they continue the hunt for Champions League football. Here are the ones to watch for Thursday’s crunch Premier League tie.

Manchester United – Marcel Sabitzer

The Austrian has impressed since joining on loan from Bayern Munich and has recently flourished in a more advanced role in midfield.

With the potential of Bruno Fernandes missing the game through injury, Marcel Sabitzer could be in line to fill his boots. A clinical display against Sevilla a few weeks ago showcased his talents and United’s no.15 will be chomping at the bit to get another chance after not starting three of the last four.

Tottenham Hotspur – Harry Kane

The obvious choice. Spurs’ talisman has notched 24 league goals and his season is somewhat going under the radar due to the high bar that has been set by Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

This season, the England captain has broken the long-standing record of Jimmy Greaves at Tottenham and overtaken Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time top goalscorer. His sights are now set on Alan Shearer’s Premier League record and perhaps a move in the summer… maybe to a team that needs a striker who plays in red.