Nothing says, ‘Christmas’ like the Carabao Cup quarter finals and, as we’ve all been so good this year, that’s what we’ve got under out football-tipping tree this week.
As always the big man’s delivered and Shane O’Brien‘s back with a sack full of Tottenham v Manchester United tips on Thursday night. Let the unwrapping commence!
Tottenham v Man United Bet Builder Tips
Manchester United to win
Over 3.5 goals
Bruno Fernandes to have 3 or more shots
Over 4.5 cards
- A Multi Match Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 19/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
WHEN: Thursday, 19th of December, 8pm
WHERE: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sport Football
Manchester United to win
Tottenham won convincingly when the two sides met at Old Trafford back in September, but a lot has changed over the past two and a half months, with United hiring a new manager and finally starting to resemble a competent side once again.
However, this fixture has become so strange in recent seasons that September’s result would be unlikely to have any impact on Thursday’s League Cup clash even if nothing had changed in the United dugout.
Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Tottenham and United have met 13 times, with away wins dominating the fixture.
Spurs have beaten United four times in those 13 games, winning three teams at Old Trafford and just once on their own turf. Each of Spurs’ three victories at Old Trafford in that period has come by at least three goals, but they have proceeded to lose the return fixture on home soil in each of the two earlier seasons when they recorded big wins at United.
United, on the other hand, have won three times both at home and way in that 13-game stretch, winning two of their three away games in seasons when they failed to beat Spurs at home.
Ruben Amorim’s side have won back-to-back away games, coming from behind to beat Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League before rescuing victory from the jaws of defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.
They are starting to show signs of life under Amorim and could continue to build on their fledgling away winning run with another victory on Thursday night.
Over 3.5 goals
One thing that has been consistent in that 13-game run is goals. Every single game in that spell has seen at least one goal, while 12 of the 13 games have seen two goals or more and nine out of the 13 games have seen three goals or more.
In fact, you would have to go back almost exactly 10 years to December 2014 for the last goalless draw between the sides, when United drew at White Hart Lane in a league fixture just after Christmas.
It has always been a strange and perplexing fixture, with United leading in terms of victories since 2018 but Spurs leading in terms of goals scored, leading the fixture 21-18 over the past 13 games.
United will almost certainly concede on Thursday night; they have conceded nine goals in their last four encounters with Spurs and have recorded just one clean sheet in seven games under Amorim as they adopt to the Portuguese manager’s system.
Spurs, meanwhile, have been a true Jekyll and Hyde side recently, scoring an astonishing 23 goals in their last eight games in all competitions and only managing to win three games. That is predominately because they have conceded 15 goals in the same spell.
There will almost certainly be goals on Thursday night and United will have to score more than once if they are to progress to the last four.
Bruno Fernandes to have 3 or more shots
Bruno Fernandes started the fightback against City with an 88th-minute penalty but was consistently involved in the United second-half charge prior to that, missing a gilt-edge chance when he pulled a chip wide of Ederson’s post mid-way through the second half.
Fernandes is just as likely to be involved in the United attack on Thursday night, given that he produces the most shots of any United player by quite a distance.
Fernandes averages 2.7 shots per game in the league, the most of any United player, and faces a Spurs side that faces an average of 12 shots per game in the league, the most of any Big Six team.
The Portuguese midfielder was sent off when Spurs travelled to Old Trafford in September and will be looking to enjoy a happier evening on Thursday.
Over 4.5 cards
Fernandes’ sending off was one of nine cards issued when the teams met back in September.
Although Fernandes’ three-game ban was later overturned, it does not take away from the full-blooded nature of that particular contest, which saw United and Tottenham commit 30 fouls between them.
Both United and Spurs comfortably average over two cards per game in the league this season and it would be no surprise whatsoever if they both matched their season average on Thursday night.
Over 4.5 cards appears to be a safe bet given recent history between the two teams.
Spurs v Man United Betting tips
Manchester United to win
Over 3.5 goals
Bruno Fernandes to have 3 or more shots
Over 4.5 cards
- A Multi Match Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 19/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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