Manchester Utd – Tottenham

The London club will not lose in the main event of the 12th matchday of the Premier League

Given the postponement of the Arsenal-Manchester City encounter due to the Gunners participation in the previously postponed Europa League fixture against PSV, Manchester United's meeting with Tottenham is undoubtedly central to the 12th round. The Mancunian club approach it as the fifth team in the Premier League, with a gap the size of the 'chasm' from leading Arsenal - 11 points. Even with a match in hand the Red Devils are unlikely to be fighting for anything more than the Champions League zone this season. Tottenham are third in the league after ten games, just four points behind the leader. The bookmakers have identified the home side as favourites for the encounter, with a minimal edge in the odds. Manchester United have often lost points this season to claim any serious position. "The Red Devils have failed to win four of their nine Premier League encounters, including last Sunday when they failed to score a single goal against Newcastle at Old Trafford. That said, Erik ten Hag certainly has a squad capable of producing victories against difficult opponents. Manchester United, for example, remain the only side to have managed to snatch points from Arsenal, beating them 3-1 at home. Tottenham have long been one of only two teams in the Premier League to go unbeaten. Spurs suffered their first defeat when Conte's side lost the London derby to Arsenal on 1 October. Prior to that, Tottenham had alternated wins and draws in the league, while also successfully competing in the Champions League, where they currently lead a fairly even and difficult group. The visitors come to Old Trafford with a run of three straight victories, which has seen them take on tough opponents such as Brighton, Eintracht and Everton. Manchester United's phenomenal 1-6 defeat to Tottenham happened in 2020. However, it was the Mancunians who won all three subsequent meetings, scoring three goals in each. Conte's side have everything they need to break the negative statistical sequence on Wednesday and at least not lose.