Ruben Amorim's Man Utd plot Tottenham payback in Premier League showdown
Manchester United are braced for a battle in north London as Ruben Amorim's resurgent side head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, determined to end a long barren run against their fiercest recent tormentors.
Ruben Amorim, Man Utd manager United and Tottenham are locked on 17 points after 1o matches, with Spurs sitting sixth and United eighth on goal difference. Both teams are desperate for victory in their final Premier League outing before the international break, but for Amorim, this one carries extra edge.
Tottenham's stranglehold over United has stretched across seven recent meetings, including four wins without conceding. Their crowning triumph came in Bilbao on 21 May, when Brennan Johnson's bundled first-half strike clinched the Europa League title and ended Spurs' 17-year wait for major silverware. United, meanwhile, were left empty-handed and without European football this term.
Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag a year ago on 1 November 2024, endured three of those defeats and has made this fixture a personal mission. The Portuguese coach insisted this week that United are drawing positives from that final loss to fuel their growth.
"We are trying to work with the positives of what happened in Bilbao," Amorim said during Thursday's press conference. "We have different characteristics in our players now. We are a better team, we play better, and we understand the game better. We are more confident. I expect a different game this time."
Since a slow start, Amorim's blueprint has begun to click. United are unbeaten in their last four league matches, most recently drawing 2-2 at Nottingham Forest on 1 November. Casemiro's return to form has stabilised midfield, while new arrivals have transformed the team's attacking threat.
Goalkeeper Senne Lammens has impressed since replacing Andre Onana, who joined Trabzonspor on a season-long loan. Up front, Benjamin Sesko has struck up chemistry with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, giving United a potent blend of strength, pace, and movement.
Gary Neville has highlighted the front line's potential but warned that Sesko, in particular, is "miles off" his expected level compared to Cunha and Mbeumo, urging the Slovenian to step up and restore unpredictability to Old Trafford.
Tottenham, under Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou ahead of the season, remain a formidable outfit fuelled by last season's success, but United arrive with a renewed belief and unfinished business. For Amorim's men, this is more than a league fixture, it's a chance to settle scores and signal that Manchester United's revival is real.